Mass Effect: The Backstage War
by The Glass-Writer
Summary: "Why do you fight?" That question has been asked of many people, many times. Some people will tell you that they're fighting to protect the things they cherish most in this galaxy. Some say that they are fighting for honor or justice. These days, a lot of people will tell you that they're fighting for vengeance. Everyone has a reason. What were theirs?
1. Prologue

**Mass Effect: The Backstage War**

_**I do not own Mass Effect. If I did, Samara would be a romance option.**_

* * *

"_Why do you fight?" That is a question that has been asked of many people, many times. Some people will tell you that they're fighting to protect the things they cherish most in this galaxy. Some say that they are fighting for honor or justice. These days (_especially _these days), a lot of people will tell you that they're fighting for vengeance. Everyone has a reason. What were theirs?_

* * *

_**Prologue**_

_**Planet: Sanctum**_

_**Location: Cerberus Research Outpost**_

_**Operation Codename: Firebase Glacier**_

* * *

_**Cerberus Lab...**_

"BANSHEE AT 2 O'CLOCK! WHERE'S MY FUCKING KISHOCK?!" a large man in black and green armor yelled as a Reaperized Asari closed in on two soldiers.

"HERE YOU GO! CATCH!" a woman in purple armor yelled as she tossed the Batarian harpoon gun to the black-and-green armored man, nearly beaning him in the skull.  
"Hey, watch it Vesna! I can't shoot this thing if you take out my fucking eye!" the black-and-green armored man yelled as he began firing large, super-heated stakes at the Banshee.  
"What a surprise, Floyd! You missed, just like you missed that date we were supposed to have two months ago!" said Vesna as she was taking potshots at Cannibals and Marauders with her Black Widow Sniper Rifle.  
"Oh, are you really going to bring that up now?" Floyd said as he decided to forego the harpoon gun in favor of tackling the Banshee down and curb-stomping its face with a biotic foot. "I told you I had reasons! Perfectly good, legitimate reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with my new shotgun-YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!" Floyd yelled as he brandished a Wraith Shotgun and blew away a Ravager that was creeping up behind Vesna.  
"You missed our date to get a new gun?! That kind of shit is why we're not together anymore!" Vesna yelled.  
"Yeah? Well if I didn't have this shotgun, that Ravager would have taken your boney ass out! Come to think of it, I'm already regretting buying this thing now!" Floyd retorted.  
"Oh, that is it, you PRICK! I'm going to-" Vesna was suddenly cut off as a Krogan/Turian hybrid known as a Brute barreled into her, throwing her across the room and into Floyd, knocking them both into a wall hard enough to dent it. As the Brute closed in to finish off the "happy" couple, it suddenly exploded in a brilliant flash of red light. As Floyd and Vesna looked up, they saw a man with dark, metallic red and gold armor walked up carrying a Reaper Blackstar.  
"We're done here. The shuttle is arriving in two minutes, so quit dry-humping and head to the LZ."  
"Go dry-hump yourself, Zuren. We're the ones who had to cover your ass while you were disabling those indoctrination boosters. Maybe next time, _you_ can take point with the tit-less wonder," snarked Floyd.  
"Ah, 'taking point'. What an interesting choice of words, considering you never could!" snapped Vesna. "AND WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN, SKANKINATOR?!" yelled Floyd. "DO I HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU, STEROIDS MAC SMALL-DICK?!" Vesna yelled back.  
"HEY, FUCKOS! SCREW EACH OTHER LATER! WE HAVE INCOMING! HEAD TO THE LZ!" the man named Zuren yelled as Reaper forces began closing in on the team's position.

_A/N: Probably not the best prologue ever written, but this is my first story. __If it has piqued your interest at all, feel free to continue reading. Reviews are welcome and appreciated._


	2. Chapter 1

**_Chapter 1_**

**_Planet: Noveria_**

**_Location: Cerberus Fighter Base_**

**_Operation Codename: Firebase White_**

* * *

**_Arcturus Station, Capitol of the System's Alliance _**

"Admiral Hackett, our taskforce is in position. Ready to move on your order," a navy lieutenant reported to the grizzled, old military leader. "Very good, lieutenant. Send them in."  
"Yes sir," the lieutenant said, as he pressed some buttons on his datapad. "Admiral, if I may say so, my tactical assessment indicates that this may not be the best…team for the job."  
"What do you mean? Are you saying you have doubts about their abilities?" Hackett asked, his eyes narrowing into a stern gaze.  
"It isn't their abilities that concern me, sir. Everyone knows that the N7 Mediciner Team is one of the best we have on active rotation. What concerns me is their unit-cohesion. Surely you are aware of the working relationship of the team members. If you can even _call_ it a relationship. Half the time, the team members are actively hostile towards each other! It makes me think that "inadvertent friendly-fire" incident wasn't as inadvertent as Agent Vesna would have liked us to believe…"  
"Stop right there, lieutenant. Yes, I am aware of the…social shortcomings of the Mediciner team members. But you must remember that in spite of that, they are all still N7 Marines, the best of the best that the Alliance military has to offer. No matter what they do off the battlefield, while they are on it I trust them to get the job done. And so should you," the Admiral said sternly.  
"Y-Yes sir," spoke the lieutenant, as he turned his gaze to the tactical-map that showed the layout of the current operation area.

* * *

**_Meanwhile, at the Cerberus Fighter Base…_**

Two Cerberus troopers were patrolling the base perimeter have a pleasant, philosophical conversation. "Damn, is it cold on this planet! I fucking hate Noveria! I've got the heat turned up all the way in this armor and I'm still freezing my balls off! Seriously buddy, how cold do you think it is? It's gotta be below freezing, right?"  
"Well, there _is_ ice, so…yeah (idiot)." The second trooper's snark went unheard as his patrol "buddy" continued to ramble on with his complaints.  
"They've got us patrolling the base in the middle of the night. Give me a fucking break! You know who _doesn't _have to patrol the base in the middle of the night?"  
"I'm sure you'll tell me (idiot)."  
"Jenkins! I bet he's sleeping in his bunk with his big, fucking melon-head on a nice, soft pillow!"  
"That's Jenkins for you (idiot)."  
"You know I had terminal duty _7 weeks in a row_? Then I make one joke about Jenkins to the CO and bam! I get the graveyard shift!"  
"Lucky you (idi-," the second trooper's snark was cut short as some cables descended from the ceiling, wrapped themselves around his neck, and dragged him upwards. His partner however, failed to notice this, as he was still ranting about his misfortunes while checking a security terminal.  
"Jenkins gets my terminal duty while _I_ get to freeze my ass off! That is so… Marc? Hey Marcus, where are you?" No response. The trooper began to get nervous. Drawing his Hornet SMG, he began to walk towards the doorway where he last saw his partner. "Yo, Marcus, this isn't funny man, where are you?"  
"I'm right over here. I thought I heard something," Marcus's voice called. "Oh yeah? What did you hear, a ghost?" the trooper asked as he turned the corner and saw his partner, Marcus, suspended from the ceiling with his throat slashed. "Yeah, you could say something like that, IDIOT!" a voice yelled as an armored fist connected with his face, knocking him over a high ledge.

After disposing of the two troopers and switching off the audio mimicker in her helmet, a woman clad in purple and green-camouflage N7 Infiltrator armor proceeded down a narrow hallway. "Hey Zuren, am I clear?" she spoke into her comm. Up on a high smokestack, obscured by smoke, a large man in dark, metallic red N7 Defender armor with gold stripes laid prone with a Black Widow sniper-rifle.  
"Yeah Vesna, you're clear, but watch your back. This smoke is good for cover, but it's interfering with my helmet's thermal sensors. And the cold isn't helping!" "What's the mission time?"  
"Don't worry about the time, Vesna. Worry about the objective! The next patrol passes in 15 seconds, so get a move on," Zuren warned.  
"Don't worry, I'll be gone before that!" Vesna boasted as she took off down another hall.  
"Okay, SLOW DOWN Vesna. Set your cloaking device," Zuren called as Vesna jumped from a ledge and Goomba-stomped a Cerberus engineer beneath her and ran into the base's command center.  
"Nah, don't need it. Besides calibrating it takes too long."  
"So does getting caught! Set your cloak! Vesna I do not have visual in there! I can't be your eyes if I can't see!"  
"Just trust me Zuren. I got this."  
"Vesna, talk to me. What is going on?"  
"I've found the command terminal. I'm initiating the override of the base's defense network."  
"While it's loading, SET YOUR DAMN CLOAK."  
Unfortunately, Vesna still refused to heed Zuren's advice. So it was no surprise that she ended up being spotted by a guard who happened to be going on a coffee break at the time. However, Vesna spotted him as well, which left them in a Mexican standoff, as the guard was holding two cups of coffee, but was also a hair's breadth away from the base's panic button. Vesna, who could not allow this button to be pressed, drew her Predator heavy pistol on him with these words: "Don't. Even. Think about it." The guard looked at Vesna. Then back at the button then back at Vesna. Then back at the button. Then he made his move. Vesna fired her gun, hitting him square in the head, but he still managed to fall into the button, setting off the base alarm. "Ah, damn it!" Vesna swore as she made a break for it.  
"Vesna, you fucking idiot! Why don't you ever listen to me?!" Zuren exclaimed as he jumped down from his perch, crushing a Cerberus Phantom. "Well, so much for being quiet," Zuren sighed exasperatedly as he ran to Vesna's position. "Vesna, we're gonna head to the helipad for extraction!" Zuren yelled to Vesna as he leapt over a ledge and gunned down some Centurions and Guardians who were pursuing Vesna. Suddenly, bullets started slamming into Vesna and Zuren's shields, prompting them to take cover behind some crates.  
"Nemeses! They're on top of that lookout perch!" Vesna called.  
"I'll charge in and draw their fire! You take them out! I'm passing you the Black Widow! Switch on my count! 1…2…3! " yelled Zuren. Zuren tossed his sniper rifle to Vesna while Vesna passed him a Cerberus Guardian shield. With rifle in hand, Vesna began taking out the Cerberus snipers with perfect headshots while Zuren charged in using the Guardian shield for mobile cover. Once he was close enough, Zuren hurled the shield with all of his might, cleanly (or perhaps, not so cleanly) decapitating the last Nemesis. Now, Vesna and Zuren were only a few yards away from the extraction point. With a trooper squad blocking the path.  
"I've got point. Cover me!" Zuren ordered as he charged forward, blowing away several troopers with a Disciple shotgun. Vesna was right behind him, gunning down troopers with two Predator heavy pistols, kicking and pistol whipping anyone who got too close for comfort.  
"Second wave! Switch, now!" Vesna yelled as more troopers appeared to block their path. On cue, Zuren kneeled and pulled out a Tempest SMG, mowing down several troopers and Centurions in a wide arc while Vesna leap-frogged over him and kicked a Phantom in the head, breaking her neck, allowing Vesna to take point. Finally making it to the helipad, Vesna and Zuren took an opportunity to catch their breath, only to find themselves surrounded by even more Cerberus troops.  
"FUCK US. You've gotta be kidding me!" Zuren swore.  
"Eh, I think I can take about…50 of them. How about you, Zuren?" Vesna spoke, casually.  
"I think you should save your fucking jokes until we get out of here! Where the hell is extraction?!"  
"Attention, Alliance assholes (alliteration bonus)!" the Cerberus commander called to the two N7 marines. "You are completely surrounded! Drop your weapons and surrender immediately, or you will be fired upon! Resistance is useless (I always wanted to say that)!"

* * *

**_In orbit, high above Noveria…_**

An Alliance cruiser, the _Corpus Christi_, sat calmly in orbit above Noveria. In the ship's CIC, a middle-aged, Caucasian man sat in the captain's chair, watching the situation at the Cerberus base unfold. "Captain Jones," the ship's XO called. "We have a situation. Operatives Artemis and Vulcan are in trouble. They're surrounded by enemy forces and are hopelessly outnumbered. Extraction is on the way, but if they don't get help now, they won't survive long enough to _be_ extracted."  
"I see. Sounds like the shit has hit the fan. Deploy the Wrecking Ball," the man named Captain Jones ordered.  
"The Wrecking Ball?! Sir, not to question your orders, but don't you think that's a little extreme?"  
"This is an extreme situation, is it not? Two of our operatives are in danger. I will take whatever steps are necessary to get them home safe. Tell Operative Hercules to get prepped. We're sending him in."

* * *

**_Back on Noveria…_**

Zuren and Vesna desperately tried to plan their way out of their current situation, but so far they were drawing a blank.  
"Vesna, there's something I have to tell you," Zuren said.  
"Yeah, Zuren?" Vesna replied.  
"If we don't make it out of this, I just want you to know…THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"  
"I hope you die in a fire, Zuren!" Vesna yelled as she and Zuren prepared to make a last stand. Suddenly, a brilliant blue flash lit up the sky. The Cerberus troops seemed to have noticed it as well, because they were all looking up. Vesna and Zuren did so as well, and they couldn't believe what they saw. At first it was hard to make out, but as it got closer, and with the image magnifiers in their helmet cameras, they could just make out the silhouette of what appeared to be a large man in black N7 Defender armor with green stripes descending towards the helipad, fist first, enveloped in dark energy.  
"KURIKURA FUDO UCHI!" the man roared as he impacted the helipad, releasing a huge wave of biotic energy, sending many Cerberus troops flying into walls, or if they were really unlucky, over the helipad ledge to the bottom of the cliffs below. The man then pulled a Revenant machine gun off of his back and began mowing down troopers left and right.  
"Son of a bitch!" Zuren exclaimed as the biotic soldier charged up with biotic energy and charged towards a group of Guardians and Centurions, knocking them 10 feet in every direction.  
"What the hell is going on?!" yelled Vesna, as she and Zuren took advantage of the confusion to get back into the fight.  
"Look, it's him!" said Zuren, pointing to their rescuer.  
"You cannot be serious! What the hell is _he_ doing here?!" The biotic soldier was busy beating down a group of troopers when an Atlas appeared and attempted to take a shot at him with its rocket launcher. The threat warnings in the soldier's helmet alerted him to the danger just in time for him to see the projectile flying towards him. Without a second to lose, the soldier grabbed the Black Widow away from Vesna and charged up with biotic energy.  
"Alright. It's the bottom of the 9th! Two outs, 3 runs behind, and the bases are loaded! The pitcher throws a heater. The slugger swings. He hits! IT'S GOING FOR THE STANDS! AND…" the soldier announced as he swung the sniper rifle like a baseball bat. The soldier struck the rocket with all of his might, sending it straight back towards the Atlas, hitting it square in the cockpit, turning the hulking mech into a dazzling fireball. "IT'S A HOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMEEEE RUN!" "Congratulations, dipshit, but in case you haven't noticed, they've got reinforcements incoming, and extraction still isn't here!" Vesna yelled to the soldier.  
"Then we'll just have to go to it, won't we?" the soldier replied as he grabbed Vesna and Zuren and dove off the helipad ledge, taking Vesna and Zuren with him. The pursuing Cerberus troops stopped in their tracks, thinking that the three soldiers had jumped to their deaths. Suddenly, they heard the roar of a starship engine as a red and black ship with a stunningly familiar shape ascended into view with the three N7s on top of the hull. Waving goodbye, the black-armored soldier yelled, "Sorry about the mess, losers!" as the Normandy SR-2-class ship fired on the helipad, obliterating the Cerberus forces. "Captain Jones, this is Hercules. Package is secure and the base defenses are down! You can land your troops at any time! The _Thermopylae_ is clear!"

* * *

**_Later, inside the Thermopylae…_**

"You're a real asshole, Floyd! Zuren and I had the situation completely under control!" Vesna yelled, yanking off her helmet, revealing the face of an attractive woman with pale skin and long, brown hair that cascaded down her shoulders. The black-armored man took off his Death Mask helmet, revealing a handsome, angular face with tan skin and a spikey mess of hair that was dyed white.  
"It didn't look that way to me. Apparently, Captain Jones felt the same. Believe me, I'd have been happy to leave you two to die, but the Captain gave the order for me to save your asses. Instead of calling me an asshole, you SHOULD be thanking me," Floyd replied casually.  
"We accomplished the objective without you! We could have held out until the ship got there!"  
"Keep telling yourself that if it helps, Vesna, but you wouldn't have needed my help if you hadn't gotten yourself busted and let every Cerberus soldier from Port Hanshan to Peak 15 know you were there. Now why don't you go do something you're actually good at and make me a sandwich? Using so much biotic power in one day sure works up an appetite! You know, when I was a street urchin still learning to control my biotics, I could stretch a sandwich long enough to feed me for 30 days?" Floyd rambled as he chugged an energy drink.  
"I'LL FEED MY FOOT UP YOUR ASS FOR 30 DAYS!" Vesna screamed as she ran to kick Floyd's ass.  
"ENOUGH!" roared Zuren. "Floyd, stop acting like a kid! If you acted your age more often, Captain Jones might actually trust you with more missions instead of just sending you in to act like a big damn hero!" Zuren chastised. "And Vesna, as much as you hate Floyd, he's right! If you hadn't been trying to show off and set your cloaking device like I fucking told you 3 FUCKING TIMES TO DO, we wouldn't have had to fight through every trooper in the base! Do you realize that this is the third time they've had to deploy Floyd to rescue us because _you_ screwed up? After what happened with Johann, one would think you'd learn from your mistake-" Alex was interrupted by Floyd's fist slamming into his face, knocking him to the ground.  
"SHUT UP, ALEX!" Floyd yelled, his casual demeanor from a few seconds before replaced with burning anger. "That happened six months ago! You don't need to keep bringing it up! Vesna, don't listen to him-" But Vesna had already left the room. Floyd turned back to Zuren, who was still sitting on the floor, wiping the blood from his mouth where Floyd's fist had struck him. "I hope that hurt, you bastard," Floyd spat. "Johann was my friend too, but have to let it go. Vesna may make mistakes, but she tries. What happened wasn't her fault!" Zuren got up and walked past Floyd, towards the door.  
"If you make a mistake in one of your video games, Floyd, you can always go back to the last save. But in real life…in war…there's no quick save. There's no reset button and no 1-Ups. In war, you make a mistake, and people die. Not just us, but hundreds of others who suffer because we failed our objective. And I will not tolerate failure. I will not command soldiers who make mistakes. I don't give a DAMN what you think about whose fault it was! N7s DON'T. MAKE. MISTAKES," Zuren stated forcefully, as he began taking off his armor and storing it in his locker. As he took off his chest piece, Floyd took in the familiar sight of the large, jagged scar that ran diagonally down the length of Zuren's back.  
"Whatever you say buddy," Floyd sighed, sorrowfully. "Whatever you say…"


	3. Chapter 2

**_Chapter 2_**

**_Planet: Sur'Kesh_**

**_Location: Salarian STG Headquarters_**

**_Operation Codename: Firebase Jade_**

* * *

**_Sur'Kesh, STG Headquarters airspace, Kodiak drop shuttle…_**

"Alright, let's go over the briefing one more time," spoke a Turian wearing white and black armor. "Our goal is to secure the STG headquarters in this sector. Last we heard, the base was under siege by Cerberus forces. Commander Shepard and his team cleared a portion of the base for us, but they had to leave immediately after. Some nonsense about a cure for the Krogan genophage, but I digress. We'll be landing at the base's western landing pad. We are free to engage upon contact with the enemy. Are there any questions?" A green, reptilian hand shot up. "Yes, I have a question. Has anyone seen my N7 Valiant sniper rifle? I thought I packed it into the shuttle, but I can't find it," A Drell wearing a red and black form-fitting jumpsuit with a matching waistcoat queried. "Asura, you always bring 3 different sniper rifles on every mission anyway! You can make do with just 2 this time!" a female Quarian wearing a black and teal-colored enviro-suit piped up. "But that's my lucky rifle, Tira'Misu! I always take it with me, and I never miss with it! I killed three people with one shot with that rifle! I sleep with it! I take showers with it! I'M NAKED WITHOUT IT!" the panicking Drell blurted out. "Will you two, SHUT UP? We're landing! Asura, you're just going to have to do without this time! Now, get your asses into gear! It looks like we're going in hot!" the Turian yelled as the shuttle's hatch opened to the view of a firefight in progress between the Salarian security forces and Cerberus troops.

"Keep firing! Don't give them room to breathe!" A Salarian wearing orange and black armor roared to his squad. "Lieutenant, we have friendly reinforcements dropping in at the landing pad," one of the Salarian agents reported. The Salarian lieutenant approached the landing pad as the Kodiak shuttle dropped off a Turian, a Quarian, and a Drell. "Captain Drakyn Glavandis, Turian Blackwatch, reporting!" spoke the Turian. "Sergeant Tira'Misu vas Killian, Migrant Fleet Marines, reporting!" spoke the Quarian. "Asura Kreon, reporting. Have you seen my sniper rifle?" the Drell asked the Salarian. "Um…I'm sorry?" the Salarian asked, puzzled by the Drell's odd question. "Don't mind that idiot," Drakyn told the Salarian. "Are you the commanding officer here?" "No, that would be Captain Jo'Shanti, over there," the Salarian said, pointing to a Salarian barking orders to his men further down the plaza. "I am Lieutenant Khajto Lanolin of the Salarian Special Tasks Group. You must be the reinforcements we heard we'd be getting." "Yes, that's right. My team and I were recruited by the Alliance's N7 Spec Ops initiative. We were dispatched here to secure the base after we received an update on the situation from Commander Shepard and Admiral Hackett," Drakyn explained. "Well then, there's no need for me to debrief you any further. The objective here is very simple: we need to drive back the enemy by any means necessary." "What do you need us to do?" Drakyn asked. "Cerberus forces are continuing to land their troops all over the place. If we can stop them from funneling in additional reinforcements, it would buy us some much needed breathing room," Khajto explained. "Don't you have anti-air batteries to deal with that sort of thing?" Tira'Misu asked. "Yes, but Cerberus techs shut them down. We sent one of our own engineers to get them back online not too long ago, a Sergeant Zeer Ryosa. But so far, he hasn't reported in." "Then that is our first objective: find your engineer and get those AAA guns up and running. Tira, Asura, let's move out!" Drakyn ordered, activating his Tech Armor. "I guess I'll just have to go with the Indra this time," Asura sighed, disappointedly, whipping out an M-90 Indra automatic sniper rifle. "More dakka just isn't as satisfying as 'one-shot-one-kill' guns," the Drell mused, mostly to himself. "Asura, will you quit whining about your damn rifles and move out?!" Drakyn barked. The team moved down the plaza until they reached a sealed door that was indicated to lead to the defense network control room. Suddenly, the trio was ambushed by Guardians and Centurions. "Fuck! We have to get inside that room! Asura, you and I will hold them off! Tira, hack that door!" Drakyn ordered as he and Asura took cover behind some desks. "Uh…o-okay," Tira replied, as she nervously approached the door and activated her Omni-Tool. After about ten seconds, the door sparked and the holographic interface disappeared. The door remained closed. "Tira, what the hell did you do?!" Drakyn exclaimed. "Ummmmm…I think I may have…shorted out the door," Tira answered. "What do you mean you shorted out the door?! I thought Quarians were supposed to be tech experts!" Drakyn yelled. "I guess this is a bad time to tell you that I'm not actually good with tech? I never have been. They actually regarded me as a jinx back on the flotilla. Some humans I've worked with said I had a natural 'derp field', whatever that is. Just my being around machines is enough to screw them up," Tira explained. "How the hell did you get into the Quarian military if you're a tech-jinx?" Asura asked as he mail-slotted a Guardian without even looking. "By cheating, of course! I would copy off my friend, Tali'Zorah. Now THERE's a tech genius for you," Tira mused. "It really is true what they say," Drakyn sighed exasperatedly. "If you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself!" Drakyn yelled as he activated his twin Omni-Blades and started carving through the door. After a few seconds, Drakyn managed to force the door open and beckoned Tira and Asura inside while Asura pulled out some cluster grenades and tossed them down the hall, literally blowing the Cerberus troops away. After confirming that no more enemies were in the vicinity, the team took a moment to catch their collective breath. Suddenly, they heard the sounds of someone tinkering with machinery. Turning towards the back of the room, they saw a Salarian in maroon and yellow armor attempting to repair main network terminal. "Uh, excuse me. Are you the Sergeant Zeer? The guy Lieutenant Khajto sent to get the base defenses back online?" Drakyn asked. "Why?" the Salarian asked. "Khajto too impatient? Lacks faith in my abilities? Sent you to assist me didn't he? Should have known he'd send someone. Never trusted my work. All he knows is how to point and shoot. Doesn't appreciate the finer applications of technical prowess. Well, I'll show _him_! I'll-" "For the love of the Spirits, take a breath, man!" Drakyn exclaimed as he cut off the Salarian's rant. "Khajto didn't send us to help you, he sent us to _find_ you! He was worried because you hadn't reported in! His troops are pinned down because Cerberus keeps funneling troops in. If we want to help them out, we need to get the AAA batteries back online." "AAA batteries irreparable. Have Cerberus engineers to thank for that. Khajto will have to do without," Zeer replied as he turned back to the terminal. "If that's the case, then why are you still here? Shouldn't you have reported back by now?" asked Tira. "Would have, but noticed strange blips on long-range scanners. Scanner control terminals damaged in earlier firefight; attempting repairs when you showed up; finished now," Zeer replied as he pressed a button, bringing up a large, holographic display of the orbital airspace above the STG base. "Strange. These readings don't seem to match Cerberus profiles," Tira observed. "I recognize those readings," Drakyn said, his voice dripping with hatred. "They're the same readings we tagged on Menae when Palaven came under attack…It's them…the Reapers!" "Reapers you say? Then this situation just became more complicated," said Zeer, as the Reaper icons on the map continued to get closer and closer to the planet…

* * *

**_STG Headquarters, main plaza…_**

"Ah, Captain Glavandis," a Salarian wearing forest-green armor called as he approached the team. "You made it back! Good, we need all the help we can get! I'm Captain Jo'Shanti, as Lieutenant Khajto must have told you," Jo'Shanti said, shaking Drakyn's hand. "Good to meet you, Captain. What's the situation?" Drakyn asked. "The Cerberus forcers have withdrawn, but now Reaper units have started dropping in! Did you manage to get the AAA guns going?" said Khajto. "Even if we had, situation still problematic." answered Zeer. "Base defense forces insufficient. Must evacuate immediately!" "Evacuate?! Are you crazy?! This is one of the STG's most important bases, Zeer! If it falls, the entire STG could lose much needed intel and equipment! We can't just abandon this place! It is our duty to defend it to the last of us!" said Jo'Shanti. "Then what? Reapers outnumber us. Have near-limitless reinforcements. Could easily occupy base once we're all dead. Fighting to the last man: pointless," Zeer assessed. "Zeer is right, Captain. We're already down to half-strength from fighting Cerberus. We don't have the manpower to hold this place against the Reapers! We have to evacuate," Khajto agreed. "NO! WE WILL NOT RUN!" roared Jo'Shanti. "The STG always holds the line! We will show these Reapers just what the Salarians are-" Jo'Shanti was cut off as his head exploded in a spray of dark-green blood. "Marauders! Up on that balcony!" Tira called as Turian husks started sniping at the soldiers. Taking cover behind desks and pillars, the team assessed their current situation. "Well, now what are we gonna do?" Khajto asked. "Captain Jo'Shanti is dead. You are the ranking officer, Khajto. The call is yours," Zeer answered. "Shit," Khajto responded. "Well, I stand by what I said earlier. There's no way we can hold this base with the forces we have left. As much as I hate to do it, we really have no choice but to evacuate. Captain Glavandis, I'm going to need your help," Khajto said, turning to Drakyn. "Of course, Captain. What do you need us to do?" Drakyn asked. "STG base evacuation protocol calls for a 'clean sweep' procedure," Khajto answered. "You mean self-destructing the base, right?" "Precisely, Captain. The detonation is triggered remotely, once the entire base has been confirmed evacuated. However, the self-destruct devices must first be primed from a central terminal within the base's main control room. We won't have an easy time getting there, not with Reaper forces all over the place." "We'll make it, you can be sure of that, but what about your men? Will they be alright if we just leave them here?" Drakyn asked, concerned. "Don't worry about, Drakyn. Jo'Shanti's pride may have been his fall, but he was right about one thing: we always hold the line. My men can at least hold out until we get back." Khajto answered. "Khajto, I will accompany them," Zeer interjected. "Only an STG officer with clearance can set the devices, Zeer," Khajto responded. "I know that, but your men need you to lead them. I can set the devices," Zeer replied. "But you're just a sergeant!" Khajto insisted. "Never stopped me before," Zeer insisted back. Khajto's eyes widened, and he then said, "Very well, but whatever you're gonna do, be quick about it! We won't be able to hold them off forever!" Nodding, Zeer took off toward the command center with Drakyn, Asura, and Tira trailing behind him. Cannon-fire from Ravagers began raining down on the squad, hammering their shields. "Damn, we're too exposed out here! We can't move forward with those Ravagers up on that ledge!" Drakyn yelled. "My time to shine," Asura called. "You guys keep moving. I'll handle pest control," he said, pulling out a Krysae sniper rifle. Rolling out of cover, Asura set Incendiary rounds on his gun and fired, splattering three Ravagers all over the wall behind them. "Move, now!" Asura called. Drakyn, Zeer, and Tira sprinted across the plaza while Marauders attempted to take potshots at them. Seeing this, Asura shifted his focus and began returning fire to the Marauders. "Shit, this would be a lot easier if I had my Valiant rifle," Asura said after nailing a Marauder right in its left eye-socket. "What are you talking about, Asura? You shot that Marauder right in the left eye!" said Tira. "I WAS AIMING FOR ITS _RIGHT_ EYE!" Asura exclaimed as he shot the cannons off of a Ravager. "AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH! I WAS AIMING FOR THAT THING'S SACKS! OH, HOW MY SKILLS HAVE REGRESSED!" Asura exclaimed, having a total freak-out while still scoring difficult shots on the enemy snipers. "_Spirits, how have I angered you? What did I do to deserve this?!"_ Drakyn thought to himself as he, Tira, and Zeer continued to the command center with Asura providing covering fire as he trailed behind them.

Finally making it to the command center, Tira and Zeer ran inside while Asura and Drakyn took up positions near the door in preparation to hold off the Husks and Cannibals that were pursuing them. "Alright Asura, you and I are going to hold this door. Zeer, get cracking on those detonation devices. Tira…don't touch anything. We don't need you 'derping' anything out," Drakyn ordered. Zeer approached the main command terminal and began typing on the holographic keyboard. "So Zeer," Tira approached the Salarian. "What did you mean when you said that security clearance issues had never stopped you before?" Tira asked as she watched Zeer inputting information into the terminal at high speed. "Wasn't always an STG agent. Used to be quite an infamous hacker, in fact. Wanted all over the galaxy. Called me The Wire. No system I couldn't get into. Once disabled the security of an entire STG base with a few taps on my Omni-Tool. Wasn't even a job. Just wanted to prove I could. Of course, the STG made it their personal mission to hunt me down after that stunt, prideful morons that they are. But they finally busted me when I tried to hack into the Citadel's mainframe. Would have been sent to jail for sure, but Khajto gave me an alternative to doing time. Said a hacker with my skills should use his talents for more than personal gain. Don't know what he did, but he was able to pull some strings to get me a tech-specialist position in the STG. Of course, the jobs I pull now are child's play compared to the things I did as a freelancer. And, done," Zeer said. "There, the devices are set. Suggest we move quickly." Suddenly, a synthetic voice blared over the base's PA system. "Thank you for initiating 'clean-sweep' protocols. To ensure system integrity, this terminal will self-destruct in 5 seconds. Have a nice day." Suddenly, the terminal exploded, throwing Zeer, Drakyn, and Asura against the back wall. "Uh, Zeer? Was it supposed to do that?" Asura asked. "I don't think so. Must have been a system error. Never seen one like that before, though." Then, Drakyn, Zeer and Asura looked over and saw Tira standing next to the remains of the main terminal with a guilty expression that was evident in her wringing hands. "I didn't touch anything, I swear to Keelah!" Tira exclaimed. "You really are a jinx, aren't you?" said Asura, as Drakyn ordered everyone to make a break for the extraction point. "Captain Jones," Drakyn contacted the _Corpus Christi._ We need evac! Send the _Thermopylae_!" Drakyn yelled as he dove to avoid a swipe from Brute. As soon as Drakyn cut the communication, a red and black Normandy SR-2 descended from the sky towards the landing pad. The hatch opened, revealing Lieutenant Khajto and his soldiers safely on board. "No sooner is deliverance asked for than it arrives," Asura mused as the squad leapt into the ship. "Helm, we've got to get to minimum safe distance before Khajto can blow the base! GET US THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Drakyn yelled to the pilot. As the _Thermopylae_ zoomed away from the base, the squad looked over to Khajto as he prepared to set off the remote detonators with his Omni-Tool. But, when he pressed the button, nothing happened. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't we have heard a deafening explosion?" Tira asked. "I don't understand! You guys primed the system didn't you?!" Khajto asked. "Yeah, and then the main terminal exploded because Tira is a fucking jinx! I bet she's the reason I can't find my Valiant rifle, too!" Asura yelled. "HOW THE HELL DID YOU IDIOTS EVER BECOME SOLDIERS?!" Khajto screamed at the top of his lungs. "I ask myself that same question every day," said Drakyn as he placed a consoling hand on Khajto's shoulder. "Well, what now? We can't just let the Reapers take the base, can we?" Tira asked. "There's nothing we can do! Unless of course, you happen to have a decent enough sniper that can somehow hit the eezo reactor tanks on the far side of the base while we we're flying away in the opposite direction. That would cause a reactor meltdown that would blow the base apart. _Do_ you have a decent enough sniper that can somehow hit the eezo reactor tanks on the far side of the base while we're flying away IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTON?!" Khajto screamed. "DID SOMEONE SAY BADASS?!" Asura yelled as he hoisted an N7 Valiant sniper rifle. "I FOUND MY BABY!" Asura yelled triumphantly as he popped up out of a pile of weapons and walked over to the shuttle bay hatch. As it opened up, Asura knelt down sighted down on his target through the advanced scope. "All right, Durga. Time to show them what you can do," said Asura as he slotted in a thermal clip and pulled the trigger. Waiting for something to happen, Tira impatiently asked, "What happened?! Did you hit the tanks?" Asura smirked as he replied, "No." Two miles away, back at the STG base, a husk's head exploded, causing it to flail around wildly before it died, but not before it collided with a Marauder that tripped and fired its gun into the face of a Cannibal that ended up tossing a grenade in its panicked death throes. The grenade exploded in the middle of a group of Ravagers, causing their sacks to burst and release their Swarmers. The confused Swarmers…um…_swarmed_ all over Brute, causing it to charge into the nearby reactor coolant tanks. Drakyn, Tira, Asura, Zeer, and Khajto watched from the _Thermopylae's_ cargo hold while the STG base went up in a mushroom cloud. The squad turned and looked at Asura as he shouldered his Valiant and walked away, whistling a merry tune. "But…you said you didn't hit the tanks…" said Khajto. "Right! I mean, I could have, but I thought it would be funnier to see what would happen if I shot a Husk's head off in a crowded space," Asura explained. "ARE YOU INSANE?!" Drakyn screamed. "YOU COULD ONLY MAKE ONE SHOT, AND YOU CHOSE TO USE IT LIKE THAT?! EVEN WHEN YOU ACTUALLY _COULD_ HAVE HIT THE TANKS?! WHY COULDN'T YOU DO SOMETHING THAT SIMPLE?!" Asura turned and stared at Drakyn. "Where's the fun in doing things the easy way?" Asura simply asked. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHH!" Drakyn screamed as he ran towards Asura and began choking the ever-loving shit out of him while Tira desperately tried to pry him off. Observing the spectacle, Khajto sighed, and walking towards the elevator, said, "It's gonna be a looooooonnng war…"


	4. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3_**

**_Planet: Tuchanka_**

**_Location: Orbital Turret Facility_**

**_Operation Codename: Firebase Giant_**

* * *

**_Tuchanka, Krogan orbital turret facility, Mako…_**

"Soooooooooo…I guess this is a bad time to tell you all that I never got my certification to drive one of these things?" Floyd asked as he turned to his passengers in the back of the infamous infantry fighting vehicle. "Yeah, nice going, Floyd. You can save the Reapers the trouble and kill us all with your driving! What were you thinking?!" Alex Zuren admonished. "I WAS thinking that all those hours I spent playing Grand Theft Auto: 2183 would count for something! Did you know you can _actually_ unlock a Mako in that game?" Floyd replied. Zuren sighed, "I can't believe Captain Jones decided to send you along with us this time. What could possibly be here that he thinks we would need _your _help with?" "Don't underestimate Tuchanka, buddy. This planet can be pretty unpredictable. I should know, I grew up here," said Floyd. "Wait, wait, wait. _You_ grew up on _Tuchanka?!_" said Vesna as she climbed out of the Mako. "Oh yeah, remember how I told you guys that I was a street urchin? I grew up in Texas, but as soon as I was old enough, I got from place to place by stowing away on transport shuttles. Somehow, I ended up stowing away on one that was making a delivery to the Krogan DMZ. It landed here, and I ended up spending the next 4 years as a member of the Urdnot clan," Floyd explained. "Raised in Texas, lived with a Krogan clan… Floyd, you are finally starting to make sense to me," snarked Vesna. "Shut up, Skankinator," Floyd replied.

After grabbing their weapons, the trio proceeded to the turret facility. Surveying the area, Zuren said, "According to the intel reports, Commander Shepard recently cleared some Cerberus forces out of this sector, but now the Reapers have started landing troops here. So where are they?" As soon he finished talking, they heard the roar of a Brute. Floyd and Vesna dove out of the way as it charged towards the group, colliding with Zuren and knocking him towards a large crate. As the Brute walked up to Zuren to deliver the finishing blow, the Brute was suddenly tackled off of its feet by a huge Krogan in shiny, black armor. The Krogan then ripped off the Brute's arms and began beating the Brute to death with them, finishing it off with a biotic curb-stomp to the head. Turning towards Zuren, the Krogan picked him up, lifted him into the air and gave him a bone-crushing bear hug. "FLOYD! You have no idea I how happy I am to see you again! I couldn't believe it when I got a message form you! IT'S BEEN SO LONG!" "Floyd…HELP! HE'S KILLING ME!" Zuren screamed through choked breaths. "Ajax? Ajax, is that you?! Bro, I'm over here!" Floyd yelled, taking off his Death Mask and running over to the Krogan. Turning around and seeing Floyd, the Krogan looked at Zuren and promptly dropped him back on the ground. Floyd and the Krogan ran towards each other and chest bumped. "Sorry about that, brother! All you humans just look the same to me!" the Krogan said as he and Floyd embraced. "Manners, Floyd. Introduce us to you Krogan friend," Vesna said, walking over to the two. "Oh, sorry Vesna. Allow me to introduce you. This is my brother, Urdnot Ajax!" "He's…your brother?" Vesna asked, staring at Ajax incredulously. "What do you mean? Of course he is! Can't you see the resemblance?" "You mean the fact that he also takes up too much space and smells like a scrapyard on Omega?" "Oh, you like that in a man?" asked Ajax as he leered at Vesna with a bone-chilling grin on his face. "My little brother told me you two used to date. If your standards are _that_ low, then maybe _we_ could hook up sometime," Ajax said with a burst of laughter. "I don't know. Compared to Floyd, you might actually be an improvement," said Vesna. Ajax absolutely erupted with laughter at this. "HA AHA AHAHHA HHAHAHA HA! Oh, I _like_ you! I never knew that human females could be so similar to ours! You sure know how to pick them, little brother!" "Laugh it up Humpty, I know about your crooked wang," Floyd countered. "YOU JERK! I TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT IN CONFIDENCE!" Ajax screamed as he chased Floyd into the facility's control center. "Geez, they really _are_ brothers," Vesna sighed. "Strange…I feel like we're forgetting something," she said as she followed Floyd and Ajax into the facility. "Can I…get a little…help…here? Anybody? Please?" Zuren wheezed as he lay on the ground, still paralyzed by Ajax's hug.

* * *

**_Inside the turret facility control room…_**

"You guys are real assholes, you know that?" Zuren said as he hobbled into the control center. "Oh, Zuren. How nice of you to join us. Come on, we're in the middle of the briefing," Floyd called as he beckoned Zuren into the room. Inside, Floyd, Vesna, and Ajax were gathered around a table with several other Krogan. "Geez, you call the whole family over, Floyd?" Zuren asked. "The clan leader, Urdnot Wrex, has gone to the Shroud facility with Commander Shepard. They have taken the majority of our military forces to combat the Reaper threat in that area so that Shepard may spread the genophage-cure they have developed. Taking so many of our warriors with them will leave many of our holdings vulnerable to attack, however, so my father, Battlemaster Urdnot Antarek placed me in charge of a contingent of warriors tasked with guarding this facility," Ajax explained. "What's so important about this facility anyway?" Vesna inquired. "These guns date back to the Krogan Rebellions. They're massive linear cannons built to shoot down even dreadnoughts. They'll come in handy against the Reapers. This facility is probably the only thing keeping them from landing more ground forces in this region," Ajax answered. "We saw that you and your warriors cleared out enemy forces earlier. Do we have reason to expect another attack?" asked Zuren. "I don't see why. I would think that the Reapers would be more focused on the forces converging on the Shroud," said Ajax. "Still, it wouldn't hurt to stay on guard," interjected one of the Urdnot warriors. "The Reapers are capable of anything. I wouldn't be surprised if they had another strike force closing in as we-" the Krogan was interrupted as a large hand with long, sharp talons burst through his chest and lifted him into the air. "OH SHIT, IT'S A BANSHEE! RUN!" Vesna yelled as the Reaperized Asari threw the dead Krogan against a wall and let loose one of her kind's infamous, nerve-shattering, ear-piercing screams. As the Banshee began to charge up energy to fire a biotic wave, Floyd and Ajax both biotically charged the Banshee, detonating the unstable biotic energy around it, blowing it to pieces. As the rest of the team ran out of the control center, they saw a horde of Reaper forces converging on the facility. "EVERYBODY TAKE DEFENSIVE POSITIONS! WE CAN'T LET THEM DESTROY THIS FACILITY!" Ajax roared, pulling out a Striker assault rifle. Vesna activated her cloak and began dispatching enemies with her Omni-Blade and an Eviscerator shotgun. Zuren managed to bottleneck some Marauders and Cannibals down a narrow passageway, mowing them down with a Revenant machine gun. Floyd was picking off enemies with his Kishock harpoon gun while blasting others with his biotics with Ajax at his side. As five Brutes charged down the field, Ajax gathered Floyd, Zuren, Vesna, and the other Krogan to him. "Hey Floyd, remember when we taught you to play 'Tackle the Varren'?" Ajax asked. "Yeah, except when we didn't have any Varren, you made me try to tackle _you_. The scars on my body are matched only by the scars on my soul," Floyd replied. "Oh, stop whining and assume the position," Ajax said, as he Floyd, and the rest of the team assumed a stance similar to that of a football team at the beginning of a play. "Wait a minute, we're not going to try and take those things head-on, are we?!" exclaimed Vesna. "Of course we are! WE! ARE! KROGAN!" Ajax bellowed as Floyd and the other Krogans echoed the battle cry and charged towards the Brutes. Floyd and the Krogan defensive line collided with the Brutes, stopping their charge dead in its tracks. Mustering all of their strength, Floyd and the Krogans began to push the Brutes back, backing them up to a ledge with a long drop-off. "See you next fall!" Floyd yelled as he and the Krogan gave one final push, knocking the Brutes off the edge. "YEAH! That's what you get when you mess with the Rhode Island Knights!" Floyd yelled, flashing the logo of his favorite Earth Urban Combat Championship team that he had painted on his left shoulder plate. "Floyd, please don't start with that again. You know Zuren supports the Edmonton Blood Dragons, and we don't need you two tearing up the place arguing about which team is better, again," said Vesna, while Floyd was doing the Knight's victory dance. "We can take anything the Reapers can throw at us! As long as we're here, they'll need a fucking Thresher Maw to take this place!" Ajax boasted. Suddenly, the ground started shaking. The entire squad was knocked off of their feet as a massive, worm-like form broke the surface of the ground and rose into the air. Towering above the facility was a titanic Reaper abomination that resembled a Thresher Maw of colossal proportions. "Ajax, I fucking hate you," Floyd said, as he, Vesna, Zuren, and the Krogans took up defensive positions. The Maw reared back and released an ear-splitting roar, firing huge laser beams at the facility platform. "This is fucking great! How are we supposed to destroy _that_ thing?! It's bad enough that it's a Thresher Maw, but it's been fucking Reaperized!" Vesna shouted as a laser cut through a pillar, nearly collapsing it on top of her. "We can't fight it like this," called Zuren. "We've got to use the guns on the Mako and the Tomkahs! They're the only chance we've got!" "Alright, everyone to the vehicles! Don't fall behind!" Ajax ordered. The soldiers made a break for their respective vehicles, dodging lasers and acid from the Reaper Maw as they ran. Floyd, Zuren, Ajax, and Vesna piled into the Mako while the other Krogan warriors piled into 3 Tomkahs. "Move your ass, Floyd! I'm driving this time," said Vesna as she climbed into the driver's seat. "SHOTGUN," Ajax called, as he climbed into the seat. "Take it," said Floyd. "I sure as hell don't want to be in the front seat when Vesna rolls us." "Shut up and get in, fuck-face!" Zuren yelled as the Reaper Maw turned around and began to fire more lasers. The Mako and the Tomkahs just barely managed to get going in time to dodge the beams. "The Mako is faster than the Tomkahs. We can use it to draw the Maw's fire while the Tomkahs focus their fire on it! Floyd, get on the cannon and get that thing's attention!" Zuren ordered. Complying, Floyd took control of the Mako's gun and began firing the linear cannon at the Reaper Maw, scoring direct hits around its facial area, causing it to roar in pain. The Reaper Maw began pursuing the Mako in earnest, lashing out at it with its massive tentacle appendages which the Reaper augmentations had given terrifyingly sharp spikes. The Mako wove and wound to avoid the Reaper Maw's attacks while the Tomkahs flanked it and opened fire, blowing off several of the Maw's armor plates, allowing the cannon shells to strike some of the Maw's weak points. Beginning to get seriously ticked off, The Reaper Maw dove back beneath the surface. "Zuren, I've lost visual! The Maw just went back underground," Floyd called. "Do you think we scared it off?" Vesna asked, stopping the vehicle. "I don't think so. Even normal Maw's don't scare that easily," Ajax answered. Suddenly, the seismograph in the Mako began spiking off the charts. "Oh, FUCK! I knew it! We didn't scare it off, we just _PISSED _it off! Vesna, everyone, FLOOR IT!" Ajax yelled. The Mako and the Tomkahs burned rubber as they attempted to escape. Suddenly, the ground began collapsing out from under them as the Reaper Maw's burrowing began creating a giant sinkhole. One by one, the Tomkahs began falling into the hole. "NO! LEONID! ZELTOR! GELROD! COME IN! RESPOND, DAMMIT!" Ajax yelled, as the three Tomkahs fell. Just then the Reaper Maw's head broke the surface. It opened its mouth wide and whipped out its tongue, wrapping it around the Mako and pulling it in. "Shit, it's got us! Vesna, where's that lead foot of yours! Come on, put the pedal to the metal!" Zuren yelled. "I'm flooring it all I can! We can't break free! It's pulling us in!" said Vesna. "BRACE YOURSELVES!" Floyd yelled as the Mako was pulled into the Reaper Maw's mouth and gulped down…

* * *

**_Inside the Reaper Maw…_**

_"SHIT, we're fucking surrounded! How the fuck did this happen?!" yelled a soldier in crimson and gold armor as he ran across a dark hallway, firing his Mattock heavy rifle behind him. "Hold together, dammit! You are NOT gonna die here! Not on my watch!" yelled a soldier in blue armor, firing and M-100 grenade launcher. "Zuren, get Vesna out of here! Keep go-AAGGGGHH!" the soldier in blue screamed as a hail of bullets shredded through his right shoulder, his abdomen, and his left leg. "Johann, you ok?!" Zuren called. "Fuck, I got hit bad… I don't think I can keep up with you," the blue soldier, named Johann, called. "JOHANN! HANG ON, I'M COMING!" yelled Vesna. "Vesna, no! Stay back, you're already wounded! You and Zuren have to get out of here!" Johann yelled as he crawled and took cover behind a large, metal pipeline. But Vesna didn't listen, and instead ran charging back to save Johann. A Marauder spied Vesna and fired its Phaeston assault rifle, clipping Vesna in both of her legs, causing her to trip and fall out into the open. Several Cannibals and Husks began swarming toward Vesna when suddenly, a man in black and green armor jumped over some railing and slammed his fist into the ground, releasing a wave of biotic energy, tossing the foes every which way. "Floyd! It's about time! What's the status of those remote weapon triggers?" Johann asked. "I've made sure they're offline, but we've got to move, fast!" yelled Floyd as he fired off a shockwave, blasting away a group of Abominations, splattering them against a fuel tank, blowing it up and taking several Marauders and Cannibals with it. "Wait, wait, what's the rush, Floyd?" Zuren asked. "No time to explain! We have to get out of here, NOW!" Floyd yelled. "Floyd, give me your gun! I'll hold them here!" Johann said as he pulled his Avenger assault rifle off of his back while Floyd tossed him his own. "Grab Vesna and get the hell out of here!" Johann ordered. "No! If you're staying, I'm staying!" insisted Vesna. "Johann, I love you! I'm not gonna leave you behind!" "I love you too Vesna, but you've got a better chance than me. You're never gonna make it dragging my sorry ass along with you! The least I can do is buy you guys some time! NOW GO!" Johann said, firing both Avengers into the crowd of Husks swarming behind them. "Vesna, take my hand! Come on!" Floyd yelled. "What's wrong with you, Vesna? Wake up!"_

_"Vesna?!"_

_"VESNA!"_

_"_HEY, SKANKINATOR!"

Vesna suddenly bolted upright and reflexively punched Floyd in the face. "See, I told you it would work," Floyd said, clutching his nose. "Did you have a nice dream, Lady Man Hands?" he snarked. "Shut the hell up, bitch-face," Vesna retorted. Vesna got up and looked around. "Ugh, tell me…Tell me we're NOT where I think we are," she said. "Hate to tell you, Vesna. We are," Zuren answered. "I just can't fucking believe this! This is fucking GREAT! We're inside a giant fucking worm! Now what the fuck are we supposed to do?!" said Floyd. "Chill out, Floyd. We've all got Omni-Blades and heavy weapons. We can just cut and blast our way out of here," suggested Zuren. "No, first we kill it. _Then_ we cut our way out," said Ajax. "Uh, I'm sorry bro, but I think I misheard you, because it sounds like you want us to kill this thing," said Floyd. "Commander Shepard and Urdnot Wrex are gonna be in a mess of trouble if this thing attacks them. This is our chance to make sure that doesn't happen," Ajax responded. "And how are we supposed to do that? Rip its heart out?" said Floyd. "Damn right," Ajax answered. "Well then, we better get moving. I had shore leave scheduled after this mission, and I'm not spending it inside a giant, Reaperized worm," said Zuren as he took point. As the team continued their journey through the belly of the Maw, Floyd approached Vesna. "Hey V, are you sure you're alright?" he asked. "What, no Skankinator this time? Why so concerned, Steroids Mac Small-Dick?" Vesna snapped at him. "Look, Vesna…I know we haven't been getting along well lately, but…well…I worry about you, you know? Ever since…what happened…you haven't been the same," Floyd said, the usual humor in his voice completely absent, replaced by genuine concern. "Contrary to what you think, Floyd, I don't need you trying to console me. I'm fine," Vesna responded. "You're _not_ fine, V. Ever since Johann died, you've been getting more and more distant. You keep taking bigger risks, like that stunt you pulled on Noveria. I want to help you, but if you keep going like this you're gonna kill yourself," Floyd responded. "I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP. Your _"help"_ is what got Johann killed. You think you're so special because you were at the top of your N7 class. Because you're biotics are _so_ powerful! You think you're some kind of knight in shining armor?! ALL YOU ARE IS AN IDIOT THAT KNOWS HOW TO BREAK THINGS!" Vesna screamed Floyd. "I'm not fooling myself, Floyd. I know Johann is dead, but I don't need your pity. And nothing you can do will make up for what happened," she said with melancholy, as she walked off. Floyd sighed as he watched her go. "Yeah, I guess not," he said as he brought up the rear.

* * *

**_About half an hour later…_**

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Floyd yelled as he shot up some pus-filled sacs. "Floyd, will you stop shooting at everything around you?! You're just gonna piss the damn thing off!" Zuren admonished. "How the hell are you gonna tell me what not to shoot at in _here_?!" Floyd snapped. "Where the hell are we anyway?" Vesna asked. Ajax glanced around and answered, "I would say we're in…the sternum. Or at least the giant-worm equivalent of a sternum." "That means we're close to the heart, then? Or the main reactor, or whatever this thing is running on?" Floyd asked. "One can hope, little brother. One can only hope," said Ajax. _Thump, thump. _"Wait a second, do you hear that?" Floyd asked. _Thump, thump._ "That…sounds like a heartbeat," said Vesna. "We're getting closer, COME ON!" Ajax roared as the team charged ahead, the heartbeats getting louder with each step. Eventually, the team found itself in what was apparently the chest cavity, with the Maw's massive heart beating right above them. "Some parts of this thing are still organic. I wonder why the Reapers didn't turn everything mechanical," Zuren mused aloud. "Maybe they figured some parts of the Maw function better organically," Vesna answered. "Who cares? Let's just kill this thing so we can get out of here!" said Floyd, activating his Omni-Blade, and cutting through one of the heart's blood vessels, spilling the Maw's dark green blood all over the room. "Come on, let's cut this bitch up!" yelled Ajax as he took a bite out of another blood vessel. As the team continued to cut through the Maw's blood vessels connected to its heart, the chamber began to fill with the blood, the level of fluid continually rising. "Work fast people, or else, we're gonna be drowning in blood or oil or what_ever_ this shit is!" called Zuren. "Only a few more to go! Try to get to higher ground…or…flesh!" Ajax advised, as the blood continued to rise around them. "All right, we're done," Floyd called. As he cut the last blood vessel, a shudder ran through the entire worm. Floyd, Zuren, and Ajax activated their Omni-Blades and drove them into the fleshy wall in order to keep from falling into the lake of blood they made. "Hang on, where's Vesna? Vesna? Where are you?" Floyd called out. "H-*cough*-Help me!" Vesna yelled. Floyd looked over and saw Vesna being swept away by the tide of blood. "VESNA!" Floyd yelled, and without a second thought, he dove into the blood and swam to her. "FLOYD, what the hell are you doing?!" Zuren yelled. "Is that idiot crazy? He'll never save Vesna with all that armor he's got on! He'll sink like a stone!" "My little bro always did have more balls than sense. I guess he really does care about that female," Ajax mused. After a about a minute, Floyd broke the surface of the blood with Vesna in his arms, surrounded by biotic energy. "I can use biotics to lower my mass, asshat! Thanks for the vote of confidence!" Floyd yelled at Zuren as he swam over him and Ajax. Suddenly, there was a loud crash and a deafening roar of pain. "Shit, I think we've broken the surface. HANG ON!" Ajax yelled. The Reaper Maw once again broke the surface of the ground, roaring in agony with blood hemorrhaging out of its mouth. In its death throes, Floyd, Ajax, Zuren, Vesna were being tossed around inside of it. After a fit of thrashing about, the Reaper Maw gave one last choked gasp, and fell to the ground, dead. Somewhere around the Maw's thorax, the sounds of muted slicing could be heard, and after a few minutes, three Omni-Blades poked through and cut a hole open, causing the Maw's blood to flow out through the wound, washing the squad out as well, all of them groaning with exhaustion. "Oh, this is all kinds of wrong," said Floyd, taking off his helmet and coughing up copious amounts of the Maw's life essence. "I'm coughing up blood that ain't mine…" "I think this should make up for my not killing the Thresher Maw during my Rite of Passage," said Ajax as he spit chunks of flesh out of his mouth. "Captain Jones! *cough cough* This is *cough* Operative Vulcan to _Corpus Christi_! We just-*hacking cough*-shit, I don't even know where to begin but…oh, just get us the hell out of here…"


	5. Chapter 4

**_Chapter 4_**

**_Planet: Lesuss_**

**_Location: [REDACTED]_**

**_Operation Codename: Firebase Exile_**

**_In orbit above Lesuss, inside the Thermopylae, Asura's room…_**

Asura Kreon lay in his bed with his eyes comfortably shut, wearing headphones that were plugged into a boom box that was playing music from his iPod. "Ah, I love this jam! I could listen to this all freaking day!" he said as he bobbed his feet to the beat of the song. Suddenly, Drakyn Glavandis burst into the room on a warpath. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, ASS-URA?! WE CALLED YOU DOWN TO THE HANGAR 15 MINUTES AGO!" he yelled. He looked over and saw Asura jamming to his tunes. He walked over to the boom box and yanked the headphone cord out of the phone-jack. As soon as he did, an amalgam of distorted sounds assaulted his hearing. The shock caused him to jump about 3 feet into the air and land right on his ass. Asura immediately got up and saw Drakyn writhing on the floor screaming, "QUIET! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!" Asura switched off the music and asked, "Drakyn, buddy! What are you doing here?" Drakyn got up, grabbed Asura by the neck, and slammed him into a wall. "I'm gonna kill you! What the hell _was _that?! Are you trying to melt our brains?!" he yelled. "Oh, that? That was Dubstep! It's this genre of music that ancient humans created in the early 21st century, and it's still popular today! That was a song my dad made. He loved Dubstep. Called this one _Kepral Korona_," Asura explained, excitedly. "THAT WAS _MUSIC_?! I thought it was an enhanced version of Batarian Decibel Torture!" said Drakyn. "What do _you_ know about Batarian Decibel Torture, D?" Asura asked with a quizzical expression. Drakyn was silent for a few seconds as unpleasant memories involving his old drill sergeant flashed through his mind. "J-just shut up and get down to the hangar already! And I swear if you complain about not having your Valiant this time, I'm going to shove my Krysae so far up your ass, I'll be able to use your nose for a scope, so DON'T FORGET IT THIS TIME!" ordered Drakyn as he stormed out of the room.

* * *

**_Down in the Thermopylae's hangar bay…_**

Asura stepped out of the elevator wearing his headphones and a pair of stylish, red sunglasses. His squad mates eyed him as he danced over to them. "Asura, what are you listening to?" Tira inquired. "And why the hell are you wearing sunglasses? This is a night-op!" exclaimed Drakyn. "Have you ever heard of Dubstep, Tira?" asked Asura, ignoring Drakyn as he used his Omni-Tool to tap into the audio receptors in Tira's helmet. Upon hearing the Dubstep, Tira tensed up like a deer caught in the headlights, and then started thrashing around like she was caught in some sort of crazed trance. Switching off the music, Asura said, "Wow, looks like you were really getting into it, Tira!" "What _was_ that, a Geth communique?!" Tira asked. "No, _that_ was Dubstep!" said Asura, proudly. "I'm having a hard time considering _that_ to be music. It's just _sounds_! Really loud, disorienting _sounds_! And why am I sweating so much, suddenly?" said Tira. "That just means you're feeling it!" exclaimed Asura. "I think I've found another potential convert, D! Zeer, Tira is into Dubstep now, too!" he called to the Salarian engineer as he popped up from behind the Kodiak shuttle. "Ah, excellent. Have new subject to test my new compositions on!" said Zeer excitedly as he typed some commands in his Omni-Tool. Too dazed to contradict them, Tira could only stand helplessly as she was blasted with more Dubstep. Drakyn stepped into the shuttle, shaking his head. "_I'm surrounded by idiots,"_ he thought to himself.

* * *

**_Kodiak shuttle, planetary descent…_**

"So what are we doing here, again?" Asura asked as their shuttle began its descent to the planet. "ALRIGHT. We'll go over this ONE more time," said Drakyn exasperatedly. "We're here on a top secret assignment for the Asari Matriarchs. When the Reapers began encroaching on Asari space, the Matriarchs split up and were moved to secure locations around the Athena Nebula. One of them was brought here, to Lesuss. Recently, Councilor Tevos received a distress signal from this planet from one Matriarch Edessa. Our job is to get her out of here and bring her to the Citadel," Drakyn explained. "So, what's with all the secrecy? I mean, I understand wanting to keep the location of the Matriarchs a secret, but most of the intel about this place was redacted. We don't even know where it is we're going," said Tira. "Captain Jones gave me an update before we got on the shuttle. It's some sort of monastery that certain Asari go to. Apparently there are more than a few of these places on this planet," Drakyn said. "That still doesn't explain all the secrecy. It's like they don't even want to _think_ about this place," said Asura. "I'm sure they have their reasons, Asura. Not our job to think about it," said Zeer. Suddenly, the shuttle pilot's voice came in over the intercom. "Hey guys, we've completed out descent, but we've still got a ways to go before we get to the operation area. You guys mind if I put on some music?" "Go ahead, Corporal," consented Drakyn. As Asura and Zeer began bobbing their heads to the beat, Asura said, "Ah, I love this tune! You've got good taste, Corporal! Tira, Drakyn, Zeer, get ready for the drop!" "I'm sorry, the 'drop'?" Drakyn asked. Suddenly, Dubstep blasted over the speakers. Asura, Zeer, and the Corporal all rocked furiously to the beat of the tune while Drakyn and Tira did their best to block out the music, but to no avail. "_I swear I'm going to convert to Christianity. The Spirits clearly hate me!"_ thought Drakyn.

* * *

**_Lesuss, [LOCATION REDACTED]…_**

"This is an Asari _monastery_? It looks like a freaking resort! Why do Asari get the nicest shit in the galaxy?" Asura remarked as they exited the Kodiak shuttle. "Asari architects are true masters or their art. Their designs are not only visually stunning, but structurally sound as well. Fewer architects than you think are capable of achieving such harmony," observed Zeer. "Keep your guard up, people!" Drakyn ordered. "This place has gone dark and we don't know why. Zeer, it looks like that elevator is malfunctioning. Fix it so we can get to the lower levels, and we'll clear this place from the bottom up. And Tira, if you touch that elevator, if you go _any_where near it, I'll cut your hands off," Drakyn said, menacingly. Zeer had the elevator functioning in seconds, and the team stepped into the elevator and descended into the basement of the darkened monastery. "Very dark here. Hope everyone brought night-vision equipment," said Zeer as he slipped on his helmet. Drakyn did the same, while Tira switched on her helmet's darkness filters. "Asura, it's darker than black down here, where's your Recon Hood?" Drakyn asked. "What, you think I'm wearing these shades just because the make me look sexier than you? I mean that _is_ part of it, but that's not all! These aren't you run of the mill sunglasses that you buy when you're going to the beach! They've got night-vision _and_ thermal vision, tactical scanning, they can synch with my Omni-Tool and play videos and movies, and they help me see all the dead bodies on the floor," said Asura. The team looked around and saw the bodies of several Cerberus soldiers lying dead all over the basement. "What the hell happened _here_?" Tira exclaimed as she examined the body of a Centurion. "Guess we know why this place went dark. Stay frosty, there could still be Cerberus troops around," Drakyn advised as he readied his Phaeston assault rifle. As they walked out of the room, Asura spied the body of a Cerberus Phantom and gently pried her monomolecular blade out of her quite literal death grip. "Not so tough now are you, ninja bitch?" Asura said as he kicked the Phantom's corpse. Staring at blade, Asura gave a whistle of approval and said to himself, "Say what you want about Cerberus, they make good stuff," as he admired the blades fine edge. "Asura, stop messing around with corpses and get over here!" said Drakyn quietly, as he motioned for Asura to take cover behind some desks.

As he did, Asura heard the sounds of a battle raging behind a sealed door. After about a minute, a Cerberus Atlas was blasted through the door and slammed into a wall at the end of the hall. Staring in disbelief, the squad turned back towards the door, readying their weapons, preparing for whatever would be coming through. A few seconds passed, and then some footsteps were heard. The squad lowered their weapons as a young-looking Asari wearing a black leather jumpsuit stepped through the door. "Aw, is that it? I wanted to play some more!" she whined as she looked over her handiwork. The Asari turned around and saw the squad staring back at her. "Oh, hello!" she said with a cheery expression. "I didn't know others would be coming here to visit. You really shouldn't be here right now, there are a lot of bad guys running around right now," she said, wagging her finger at the team. Taking a closer look at the squad, she said, "Say, you wouldn't be the people my dad said would be coming to help me out, are you?" "That depends. Who is your dad? Who are _you?_" Asura asked. Looking at the Drell, the Asari said, "Hey…Surey, is that you?!" Lifting his shades, Asura looked at the Asari and said, "Laelia?" "SUREY!" the Asari squealed as she glomped the surprised Drell. "Surey, I can't believe it's you! Is Drakey here, too?!" she asked looking around for Drakyn, whom she spied attempting to hide behind a potted plant. "Drakey, what are you doing back there?! Give me a hug!" she squealed as she ran over to Drakyn. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" Drakyn screamed. "Drakyn, calm down. What's the problem?" Tira asked. "SHE'LL BRING THE WRATH OF HELL DOWN UPON US! DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT SHE IS?!" Drakyn screamed in terror. "I assume you mean she's an Ardat-Yakshi?" Zeer suggested. "What's an 'Ardat-Yakshi'?" asked Tira. "Ardat-Yakshi are a type of Asari with a rare genetic defect that only manifests in purebloods. The defect causes them to burn out the nervous systems of their mates. They are also known for having exceptionally powerful biotic abilities. According to Asari government records I hacked into once, Ardat-Yakshi are sent away to secret monasteries so that they won't be a danger to society. Considering how secretive the Matriarchs we're about this place, I'm guessing this must be one of those monasteries, although it looks like it's been abandoned for some time," Zeer explained. "Asari that kill you with sex? Kinky," Tira remarked. "What? No, Laelia isn't an Ardat-Yakshi! She's something far worse! She's the daughter of…_The General,"_ responded Drakyn, his voice filled with abject terror. "The General? Who's that?" Tira inquired. "According to STG reports, The General, if it is in fact, _The_ General, is one of the most renowned Turian Spectres. He was so good, no one except for the Council and a handful of others even know his real name. They call him The General because of his tactical genius and commanding presence. Heard he retired," Zeer explained. "That's my daddy, alright!" Laelia said, proudly. "So how do you guys know each other?" asked Tira. "Surey and Drakey didn't tell you about me? You guys are so mean!" Tira said, jokingly pouting. "Laelia is a commando-in-training. I've done a few jobs for the Hierarchy in the past. Drakyn and I have come to know her and her father very well," said Asura. "So what's with Drakyn flipping his shit?" Tira asked. "The General is very protective of his daughter and he becomes very…_agitated_…if he feels that we're putting her in danger. That's why Drakyn is freaking out. I don't blame him. I would be too, if I weren't so used to The General trying to murder me," he explained. "_Agitated?!_ The last time The General got mad at us, he tied us up by our ankles and dangled us over a Varren pit! That isn't agitated, that's just sadistic!" Drakyn exclaimed. "Yeah, and there was that time he used us as moving targets for him to practice on at the shooting alley," remarked Asura. "And have you forgotten what he did when he found out we let Laelia slip away from us and hang out at with Aria T'Loak at Afterlife?!" said Drakyn. "Don't remind me," Asura shuddered. "Oh come on guys, stop joking around, my dad didn't do any of those things! He's the nicest person in the whole galaxy!" proclaimed Laelia with a beaming smile. "Oh Laelia, the things your father doesn't tell you," Drakyn said to himself as Asura lapsed into a very descriptive and unpleasant solipsistic memory flash that involved The General, a taser, a stretching rack, an Asari dominatrix, and a Justin Bieber mix tape.

"So what are you doing here by yourself, Laelia?" Drakyn asked as the squad formed up and continued their sweep of the monastery. "When the Reapers began targeting Asari colonies, daddy thought I would be safer if I went somewhere off the radar, so he sent me to this planet," Laelia answered. "If this place is supposed to be off the radar, how the heck did Cerberus find it?" Asura asked. "That doesn't matter anymore. If Cerberus knows where this place is, then you can bet they'll be sending reinforcements once they figure out Laelia singlehandedly killed their whole strike force (which I _still_ can't believe, by the way). We've gotta work fast if we're gonna get the Matriarch out of here," responded Drakyn. "Matriarch? You mean Auntie Edessa? Is that what you guys came here for?" asked Laelia. "'_Auntie_' Edessa?" said Zeer. "Yeah, Matriarch Edessa was my mom's sister. I don't get to see her very often, so that's why I begged daddy to let me come on this mission," Laelia explained. "Can you take us to where she is, Laelia?" Tira asked. "Yeah, I was just with her this morning! I can show you! Let's go, everyone!" Laelia said excitedly, grabbing Asura and Drakyn's arms and skipping off down the hall.

"So, what have you been up to since the last time we saw each other?" Laelia asked Asura. "Oh you know, the usual stuff. Killing people, jamming to my tunes…killing people," he answered. "Still in the business, huh? I thought you said you were done with that life," Laelia said with a disappointed pout. "I _am_ done with that life. I'm just a freelancer now, and I don't take jobs for the syndicates anymore," Asura answered. "But you're _still_ an assassin! Asura, you promised me that you wouldn't do this anymore!" said Laelia. "I know what I said, but this…this is all I know. When you've been raised from childhood to be nothing other than a killer, it's kind of hard to do anything else. If my parents hadn't been murdered, maybe I could have found a different path, but things didn't work out that way!" Asura responded. "I know it wasn't easy for you to leave that life behind, Surey. But I know you, and I know this isn't what you want. You can't let what you are keep you from being what you _want_ to be," Laelia said with a smile. "I _will_ put this life behind me Laelia, I promised you that, but I can't stop now. Not until…I get some closure," Asura said. "What do you mean by that?" Laelia asked.

Suddenly, a rocket exploded right above Asura and Laelia's heads. "Cerberus troopers, 12 o'clock!" Tira called as three Centurions armed with rocket launchers opened fire on the squad while Guardians and troopers began advancing on them. "Oh no! Auntie Edessa's room is right past those guys!" said Laelia. "We have to get to her before Cerberus gets through! Asura, Laelia, you guys draw their fire! Zeer, Tira, we'll flank them and take them out! Go, go, go!" Drakyn ordered. Flaring with biotic energy, Laelia trapped several troopers in a powerful stasis field while Asura tossed some cluster grenades into their midst, blowing them apart. Some Guardians and Centurions tried to close in and surround the duo, but Asura acrobatically leapt into the air and, whipping out a Raptor sniper rifle, twisted around in midair and nailed four guardians in the head while Laelia charged up and slammed the ground with her hands, blowing the Centurions into the air. On his descent, Asura biotically kicked one Centurion in the head, knocking him into a wall, denting it. Next, he pulled out a Talon shot-pistol and blasted another Centurion in the torso. Asura then biotically grabbed the last Centurion and threw him down to the ground. Before he hit the ground, Laelia biotically caught the Centurion, swung him around, and threw him toward some engineers who were setting up some turrets, blowing them up. As more Cerberus troops started funneling into the monastery's main hall, Laelia ran ahead to find the Matriarch while Asura covered her six o'clock. When the rocket-armed Centurions tried to fire on Asura, they were suddenly zapped from behind with an Overload, shorting out and igniting their ammunition. Drakyn then dashed out of cover and detonated his Tech Armor in the middle of a group of troopers and engineers.

As Drakyn began taking out enemy troops with grenades, tech bursts, and gunfire, some Nemeses and Centurions attempted to snipe at him. Suddenly, they found themselves surrounded by several Salarians. The Cerberus troops opened fire on them, but nothing happened. The Salarians then zapped the soldiers with an EM pulse, disabling all of their shields, and then disappeared in a flash of blinding light. As a Nemesis recovered her vision, Zeer appeared behind her and stabbed her through the chest with an Omni-Blade. Another Nemesis tried to shoot at Zeer, but he vanished using his cloak. While invisible, Zeer ran past the Nemesis, placed a proximity mine on her back, and pushed her toward the group of Centurions, blowing it up and taking them out. Zeer smirked with satisfaction as he deactivated his cloak. Suddenly, a cannon blast hit Zeer. His shields protected him, but he was knocked into a wall. Drakyn and Tira ran over to Zeer struggled to get him back on his feet as two Atlases approached them. Tira and Drakyn dragged Zeer behind some cover. "Damn it, as if two Atlases weren't enough, it looks like Zeer is unconscious! Tira, I _can't_ believe I'm asking you this, but do you think you can do anything?" said Drakyn as he tossed some flashbang grenades, hoping to slow the Atlases down. "I'm trying!" Tira exclaimed as she frantically pressed several buttons on her Omni-Tool, but nothing happened. "Why me?! Curse my stupid derp-field!" she cried. "Derp-field… That's it!" Drakyn exclaimed. He then grabbed Tira and raised her over his head. "Hey, hey, HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Tira screamed. Drakyn then threw Tira at one of the Atlases. Tira flailed through the air and landed on an Atlas's windshield. "What the fuck?" the pilot said as he saw the Quarian struggling to hang on to his machine. Suddenly, the Atlas's controls sparked and the Atlas turned toward its companion and blasted it. "Axelrod, what the hell are you doing?!" the other Atlas pilot yelled. "It's not me! I can't control it!" the pilot name Axelrod cried. Axelrod's Atlas continued blasting his partner while Tira hung on for dear life until it fell to the ground in a broken, flaming heap. Axelrod finally managed to toss Tira off of his Atlas when suddenly, the self-destruct warnings went off. "Motherfu-" Axelrod managed to get out before his mech exploded. "By the Spirits… Tira, what the hell _are_ you?!" Drakyn said incredulously. "I don't know what _I_ am, Drakyn, but _you_ are an ASSHOLE!" Tira yelled as she clambered out of the pile of scrap.

Meanwhile, Asura continued to follow Laelia to where she was last with Matriarch Edessa. Rounding a corner, the duo saw a Brute attempting to break down a door. But that was nothing compared to what they saw standing behind the Brute: a male human in a Cerberus Phantom battle-suit with three Reaperized Asari standing tamely around him. "I was wondering what the hell all the commotion was. I was expecting more Reapers," the man said. One of the Reaperized Asari flash-stepped toward Asura and Laelia and knocked them to the ground. "Now, now, down girl," the Phantom said, and the abomination backed off. "You'll have to forgive my pets. The Banshees are easily excitable, especially since they haven't had anyone to play with in a while, but nobody likes a kill-steal. Why should just one of them have all the fun? It's okay to play with your food girls, but remember to _share_. Now sic 'em!" the Phantom ordered, and the Banshees pounced on the duo. Asura dodged a biotic blast from one of the Banshees and fired one of his own, staggering it. He then cartwheeled out of reach of a Banshee's attempted claw slash, leapt toward it, and cut its head off using the monomolecular blade he had picked up earlier. "Ooh, cuts like butter through a hot knife!" said Asura, gleefully. "Like a _hot knife_ through _butter_, you culture fool!" the Cerberus Phantom corrected as charged toward Asura. The Drell barely had time to block the Phantom's sword strike before he was forced to raise a biotic shield to block a warp field from a second Banshee. The Banshee screamed and let loose a biotic shockwave that knocked Asura off of his feet. "Aw, dammit. I'm gonna feel _that_ in the morning. Hey Laelia, you think I could get a little help here?! Laelia?" Asura called as he looked over to his Asari companion. Laelia was backing into a corner with a terrified expression on her face as the two remaining Banshees approached her with their arms raised menacingly, crackling with biotic energy. "Laelia, hang on!" Asura called as he ran over to help her. Suddenly, he was yanked off of his feet, whipped into the air, and slammed into the ground. "When a problem comes along, you must whip it! Before the cream sits out too long, you must whip it!" the Phantom gleefully sang as he retracted a whip-like tractor beam into his gauntlet. "Come on sing it with me! Oh wait, you can't because you don't know this song!" he said as he let the tractor beam out and snared Asura again before he could get away. "And that is because you're a FUCKING. ALIEN. WITH NO. APPRECIATION. FOR HUMAN. CULTURE!" he emphatically punctuated as he slammed Asura from wall to wall. "Laelia, snap out of it and HELP ME!" Asura screamed. Hearing Asura's screams seemed to shake Laelia somewhat, and she hit the two Banshees with Reave, causing them to scream in pain. Laelia then charged up and released a biotic wave that knocked the two Banshees through some pillars, crushing one Banshee and pinning the other. "Well, that was unexpected. I was just going kill you, stuff you, and add you to my Hall of Culture Fools, but your lady friend is pretty powerful. Maybe she'll will make a nice new addition the family!" the Phantom said with a sadistic tone is his voice. The surviving Banshee got back on her feet and resumed its advance on Laelia, who had collapsed from the sheer stress of the situation. Glowing with biotic energy, Asura vanished in a flash of blue and reappeared with the flat of his sword an inch away from the Phantom's faceplate before striking it and cracking the helmet. "You touch her, you _die_," said Asura, his normally casual tone replaced with one dripping with murderous instinct. "OH YEAH! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! HIT ME BABY, ONE MORE TIME! Nothing set the scene quite like a man going to bat for his lady friend! By the way, I bet you don't know that song either!" he exclaimed as he staggered backwards. "As a matter of fact, I do. I _hate_ Britney Spears! She was in the Mickey Mouse Club, and according to my friend, Floyd, Disney is the greatest evil in the universe!" Asura retorted. "Wow, I guess you're not as a big a culture fool as I thought. You're a funny guy, Drell. I'm starting to like you. That's why I'm going to kill you _last_… Heh, I'm lying of course, but I always wanted to say that!" said the Phantom as he rushed toward the Drell. "First Spears, now Arnie," Asura remarked as he and the Phantom crossed blades. Suddenly, hearing a scream of terror, Asura looked back and saw a Banshee lifting Laelia into the air. Breaking their sword-lock, Asura biotically pushed the Phantom away and charged toward the Banshee, causing it to drop Laelia and face him. Before the Banshee could strike him however, Asura flash-stepped into the air, came down and used his momentum to vertically bisect it.

Shaking the residue off of his sword, Asura helped Laelia to her feet. "Laelia, you okay?" he asked. Laelia shook her head and said, "Yeah, I'm fine, back in the game. Let's kick this bastard's ass already!" she said as she dashed toward the Phantom. "I'm not normally a fan of two-man threesomes, but I'll make an exception in this case," the Phantom said as he pressed a button on his Omni-Tool, causing two wing-like binders to open up on his back, revealing rocket thrusters. Flipping into the air, the Phantom began flying around dodging as Laelia fired a continuous barrage of biotic blasts at him while Asura shot at him with Locust and Tempest SMGs. "Instead of aiming for where I _am_, you should be aiming for where I'm _going_ to be! Haven't you played Space Invaders?" the Phantom taunted. "Thanks for the tip, asshole," said Laelia as she flash-stepped into the air, right into the Phantom's flight path, and hit him with a biotic kick, knocking him towards the ground as Asura pulled out his Cobra missile launcher and fired. The missile hit its mark, or at least Asura thought it had, because the next thing Asura knew, he was blindsided by the Phantom jetting towards him and kicking him across the room. Laelia managed to flash-step behind Asura and catch him before he collided with a pillar. "He's too fast! How are we supposed to beat this asshole?!" Laelia said. Charging up his phase-disruptor, the Phantom walked over to the duo as he said, "This really has been a nice distraction, but I have a job that I need to get back to. But before I do, I just have one question for you." Holding his hand in front of Laelia and Asura, the Phantom smirked behind his helmet as he asked, "Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?"

Asura's eyes widened as the Phantom's question triggered a powerful memory flash. "**Father, mother, and I are sitting in the living room. Mother reading. Father working on new Dubstep. Suddenly, front door blasted off its hinges. Man walks in, human, sword in hand, wearing black armor. Strange white and gold logo on chest. Mother screams. Father yells. Picks up his favorite instrument, one the humans call an 'electric guitar', smashes it over human's head. Human's helmet cracks, revealing half of face. Brown hair, light skin, brown eye. Father and the human fight. I cheer for father. Human cuts father's arm off. Stabs him. He falls. Mother screams. Human turns to her. Mother tries to shield me. She is shot. Falls over father's body. Human turns to me. I am crying and shaking. Not fear. Hatred. I feel myself flaring with biotic energy. Power I only recently started to learn to use. I lunge at him with a shard of glass. He is caught off guard. I stab him in the eye. He staggers back and screams. Kicks me to the ground, stomps on my chest. Holds a gun to my head, smiles with psychotic fury and screams at me, "HAVE YOU EVER DANCED WITH THE DEVIL IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT?!" Police sirens. Gunshots hit the human. He runs away. I stare at my parents bodies as the police come in. All talking. I don't hear them. Just the question. I don't see them. Just a devil running away under the pale light of the moon…" **The Phantom stared at Asura and asked, "What the hell are you blabbering about? Spare me your alien weirdness and just die." Asura suddenly lunged at the Phantom. The Phantom dodged and pulled out his sword, dashing towards the Drell. Asura gathered biotic energy into his hands and began countering the Phantom's sword strikes, knocking the blade away with his bare fists. Laelia looked on as she saw her friend's normally collected demeanor collapse into pure rage to the point where Asura was screaming his head off as he attempted to strike the Phantom, the speed and intensity of their blows increasing. Finally, Asura found and opening and punched the Phantom straight in the gut, cracking his armor and sending him flying into a wall. The Phantom staggered back onto his feet and ripped off his helmet, which had been badly damaged in the collision, revealing a man with pale skin, short, brown hair, and a cybernetic left-eye. "It's YOU!" yelled Asura. "YOU'RE THE BASTARD WHO KILLED MY PARENTS!" "And you're the little shit who gave me this," the Phantom said, pointing to his left eye. "I wondered if I would ever see you again. I really should be thanking you, you know. Do you know how many women find this thing attractive?" said the Phantom. "You know, I thought there was something familiar about you, but just I couldn't put my finger on it. It's too bad too, because I've got an extra one," the Phantom laughed, holding up his right hand to reveal six fingers. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," said Asura as he face-palmed. "That's right, Inigo Montoya!" the Phantom said, laughing his ass off. "Laugh at this!" Asura yelled as he fired a warp field at him. Dodging into the air and activating his flight-pack, the Phantom flew off as he said, "This is beginning to get tiresome. You two prevented me from accomplishing my objective, but I'm not angry. You proved to be quite entertaining. I've got to run now, but I look forward to seeing you again! Dasvidanya!"

As the Phantom flew away, Drakyn, Zeer, and Tira ran into the room. "Wow, you guys really tore up the place. Are you alright?" said Tira. "We're fine," answered Laelia. "Just a little shaken." "Where is the Matriarch? Did Cerberus get her?" Drakyn asked. "There was a Brute trying to break down her door, but it looks like it's gone now," Laelia said. "Wait, a Brute? You mean there were Reapers here?" "Yeah, we'll tell you all about it later. It's…complicated," responded Asura. "Indeed it is. Fortunately, you proved to be enough of a match for the fiends," a mature sounding voice called out. Turing around, a tall Asari Matriarch wearing an elegant black and gold gown walked out of a room, the Brute that was attempting to bust down her door, dead behind her. "Auntie Edessa!" Laelia squealed as she ran over to the Matriarch and embraced her. "It is good to see you, child. I was so worried when you ran off. I guess you've got more of your mother in you than I thought," Matriarch Edessa said as she returned the hug. Turning to Drakyn, Asura, Zeer, and Tira, Edessa said, "You have my thanks. Had you not arrived when you did, I would likely be in a Cerberus holding cell right now, if not dead." "There is no need to thank us, Matriarch Edessa. We're just doing our jobs. However, if I may ask, what did you mean when you agreed that the situation was complicated?" Drakyn inquired. "That Cerberus agent that was here…Somehow, he has gained the ability to control the Reaper husks. If Cerberus has gained that kind of power over the Reaper's servants, they may be able to extend that power over the Reapers themselves. And none of us will be safe if that happens. I _had_ sent a Commando unit to investigate reports of this. I lost contact with them a few days before this attack. I guess we now know what became of them," Edessa said, gesturing toward the Banshee corpses. "I can't believe those things…are us…" Laelia asked, still shaken up from the encounter. "Yes, and the same fate awaits us all if the Reapers are not stopped. I had to get this information to Councilor Tevos. That's why I sent out the distress signal," Edessa continued. "That must be how Cerberus found this place. You would have been safer here if you hadn't sent it. That was a risky move," said Drakyn. "Maybe, but it was worth it to see such a handsome Turian," Edessa said, leering at him. Drakyn visibly blushed as Zeer, Asura, Tira, and Laelia burst out laughing.

* * *

**_Back on the Thermopylae, Asura's room…_**

Asura Kreon lay in his bed with his eyes comfortably shut, wearing headphones that were plugged into a boom box that was playing music from his iPod, but this time, he wasn't listening to his regular playlist. The door to his room to his room opened and in walked Laelia. Seeing Asura with his headphones on, she walked over to the boom box and unplugged them. As she did, the sounds of Antonin Dvorak's _Symphony of the New World_ filled her ears. Opening his eyes and seeing his Asari friend, Asura sat up and switched off the music. "What happened to your Dubstep collection? Drakyn told me you and Zeer had been torturing the crew with it. I wanted to hear some!" Laelia said. "Sorry, Laelia. Just not feeling it right now," Asura responded. "I remember back when my dad hired you to be my bodyguard. You only listened to human classical music when you were angry or depressed. I guess you're still thinking about _him_, huh?" asked Laelia. "It's just so strange, Laelia. I've been searching for him for 15 years. He killed my parents. He's the whole reason I begged Master Krios to train me as an assassin. He's the reason I studied so much about human culture. That question he asked me? It's from a human vid called 'Batman'! I hear that same question all the time in my head. I've heard it every day and every night for 15 years! It's all I think about. It drives me crazy! And it won't go away, and until I kill that _BASTARD, _IT NEVER WILL!" Asura yelled, throwing his headphones across the room. "So when you said you wanted closure, you mean you want to kill him…But Asura…killing that man won't bring your parents back." said Laelia. "When you found out who he was…When you were fighting him…it was like you were the assassin you used to be…Is it worth killing him if it turns you back into that? Or worse…if he kills you?" "I told you; I can't move on until he's dead. Look…your father may have hired me as your bodyguard in the past, but the truth is, _you're_ the one who save _my_ life. If you hadn't convinced me to quit working for the gangs, I don't know where I'd be right now. I swore to you I'd put this life behind me, but in order to do that, I have to get…closure…" explained Asura. Getting up to leave, Laelia said, "I understand how you feel Asura. If this is what you want, I won't try to stop you. Just remember what they say to do when seeking revenge." "Dig two graves, I know. Don't worry about me, Laelia. I'll free myself of this one way or another. But…thanks… Now, how about we go blast Drakyn with some DJ Maddox?" said Asura, his normally cheerful demeanor having returned. And soon the _Thermopylae_ echoed with the sounds of electronic beat-boxing, Geth transmissions, and one screaming Turian…


	6. Chapter 5 pt 1

**_Chapter 5.1_**

**_Planet: N/A_**

**_Location: The Citadel _**

**_Operation Codename: Firebase Yuletide_**

* * *

**_Thermopylae, on approach to the Serpent Nebula, Zuren's room…_**

There was a time when Alexander Zuren liked what he saw in the mirror. The Mediciner team leader had returned to his quarters after a day of defending an Alliance communication outpost. Removing his helmet, Zuren gazed in to his mirror at the collection of scars that adorned his face. He lifted a part of his brown hair and stared at the gash that ran vertically across his left eye, the now-healed scar being the first one he had ever received in the line of duty. He could still feel the burn of the Batarian ballistic blade slicing across his face. The closed-in confines of that pirate bunker on Torfan didn't leave a lot of room to dodge. Still, that was nothing compared to the pain of seeing almost all of his fellow squad-mates get cut down by the four-eyed bastards. He completed the mission, but at the cost of a lot of good men and women. From that moment, Zuren swore that he would never allow his squad-mates to come to harm on his watch. He took his personal mantra, "N7's don't make mistakes," very seriously. Zuren carried his scars with pride because he felt that each scar he received was one his comrades didn't have to carry. But now, he was starting to feel that they were all worthless.

Cerberus forces had attacked Firebase Reactor, an important fuel station in that provided countless ships with much needed energy resources. A Cerberus Phantom had somehow gained the ability to control limited numbers of Reapers forces, which made the fight even more difficult. Vesna had gone off on her own to protect the control room, but was ambushed by the Phantom and took several bad hits. Floyd had barely managed to extract Vesna in time, and she was now lying unconscious in the _Thermopylae_'s med bay with severe burns and a severed left-arm. It hurt Zuren to think about it. As much as Floyd and Vesna drove him up the wall, he knew that a squad leader's duty is to look out for their team, and up till recently, Zuren thought he had been doing a decent job. As he reflected, he thought about his old friend, the Mediciner team's former leader, Johann, and punched his mirror in in anger, his armored fist shattering the glass. There was a time when Alexander Zuren liked what he saw in the mirror. But that was a long time ago…

* * *

**_Thermopylae, on approach to the Serpent Nebula, med bay…_**

Floyd Greene was the kind of man who never took his life too seriously. After all, why take anything seriously when you're the strongest guy you know? He had an unusual childhood, experiencing things most people don't see or do in their whole lives. Running with a gang of street punks and being taken in by Krogan clan had given Floyd a unique outlook on the galaxy, one full of curiosity and enthusiasm, and he joined the Alliance navy to satisfy his taste for adventure and a good, down and dirty fight. He always tried to maintain his jovial personality even in the worst situations, and with no sense of his own mortality Floyd was always willing to take on the most ridiculous challenges. Everyone calls him crazy, and maybe he is, but there was one thing that he was absolutely serious about, and she was laying wounded and unconscious in front of him on a med bay bed.

He was surprised that even though they had broken up months ago, he still had feelings for the woman. To look at them, you'd never believe that Floyd and Vesna had ever _once_ had that kind of relationship. Even while they _were_ going out, they were always at each other's throats ("_But as I recall, the anger-sex was_ _mind-blowing," _he thought). He could never quite remember where they went wrong ("_Maybe it was because to her, a trip to an interracial fight-club wasn't her idea of a 'date night',_ he internally mused), but they did, and so they broke up, and that's when she started dating their squad leader, Johann. Normally, he would have challenged the new suitor to a trial of combat, like Ajax taught him, but Johann was a bro, so he was cool with it. Johann and Vesna seemed perfect for each other, but then…Johann was lost. Worst of all, Vesna blamed _him_, and ever since, it seemed that Vesna had turned into a death-seeker, throwing herself at the biggest threats on the battlefield with no regard for her own safety. So Floyd vowed to protect her even if she hated him, but he could only do so much when she refused to let anyone get close to her. And now she had been gravely injured, and Floyd felt like a loser. Growing up on the streets, he had always taken pride in his strength and his ability to protect his friends, and protecting the woman you care about is even more important. But Floyd felt that he failed to protect Vesna, and that was not acceptable. Floyd was the kind of man who never took his life too seriously. But he did take seriously the lives of those he cared for, and if he wanted to protect Vesna, he would have to get stronger. Stronger than _anyone_…

* * *

**_The Citadel, Alliance docking bay, Thermopylae QEC room…_**

"So, what do you think Captain Jones wants with us, Zuren?" Floyd asked as he and Zuren walked into the _Thermopylae's_ war room. "Who knows? Probably to chew us out over that last mission. We almost lost the fuel station because you just had to blow the core's blast-shutters off their hinges during a meltdown!" Zuren admonished. "Hey, you're the asshole who shut me in the reactor core right when it was about to vent! If I didn't know better, I'd say you _didn't_ do it on purpose!" Floyd retorted. "That's because I _did_! Wait, what?" said Zuren, tripped up by Floyd's phrasing. "HA! I knew you were trying to do me in, you son of a bitch!" Floyd exclaimed as he tackled Zuren and the two began wrestling on the ground. "What the hell are you two doing?!" Captain Jones's voice called out as his holographic image appeared on the QEC terminal. "Sorry captain," said Zuren as he punched Floyd in the balls and got back on his feet. "Floyd and I were just having an argument over battlefield strategy. He can't seem to be able to comprehend my tactics." "That's because your '_tactics_' consisted of me nearly getting toasted in a blast furnace!" Floyd yelled. "All right, lock it down, both of you!" Captain Jones yelled. "I didn't call you two up just so I could manage your PMS for you! We have important matters to discuss. I understand you guys have been a bit on edge since that last missions at the fuel station. I heard about what happened to Vesna." Floyd and Zuren calmed down and an air of melancholy settled over the room as their thoughts turned to their comrade. "Seeing a teammate get injured like that isn't easy, even if you guys barely get along. Believe me, I know how you feel. And unfortunately, your missions aren't going to be getting any easier. Every day, the Reapers continue to decimate planets all over the galaxy, and we can't forget about Earth either. Beating those bastards will take everything in our arsenal and we're going to need you to be able to take full advantage of it," the captain continued. "What are you saying, cap?" Floyd asked. "Alliance R&D has succeeded in developing a full set of new equipment for our top N7 operatives, and since your team has been fighting on the front-lines since this war started, you have been selected to receive one of the first batches," Captain Jones explained. "My 'There's-A-Catch' sense is tingling," Floyd snarked. "There's no catch," said the captain. Then, thinking about it, he said, "Well…I guess there's one _small_ catch. We're approaching the Citadel for some shore leave, and Alliance Command has arranged for us to pick up the equipment there as well. The thing is, this is some very advanced hardware you'll be receiving, and not just anyone can use it, even if you are N7 Marines. You're being scheduled to undergo some advanced medical procedures so that you'll be able to use this stuff effectively." "So what, you're saying we're going to have to spend our shore leave in the fucking _hospital_?!" Floyd yelled. "This is BULLSHIT! I fucking HATE hospitals! This is so unfair!" he continued to rant as he stormed off. "Sorry about that, sir," Zuren apologized as he watched Floyd storm out of the room. "It's alright, Zuren. Like I said, I understand you guys are pretty high-strung right now. Just make sure Floyd reports for the procedure. And Zuren," Captain Jones called as Zuren was preparing to leave. "I meant what I said. I know what it's like to lose a good friend, but you can't let that affect your judgment on the battlefield. You can't bring back the dead, no matter how hard you push yourself. Focus on the people who are still alive, Zuren. They're the ones who are counting on you." "…Yes sir. _Thermopylae_ out," Zuren said, as he deactivated the QEC terminal.

* * *

**_The Citadel, Alliance docking bay, flight lounge…_**

"Ah, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!" Floyd exclaimed excitedly as he stepped off the flight lounge elevator wearing a Santa-hat and carrying a large burlap sack over his shoulder. The Alliance docking bay had been decorated with boughs of holly, pine branches, multicolored lights and colored orbs hanging from various surfaces. "What is 'Criss-mass'?" Tira asked, looking at a large tree in the corner of the room decorated with all sorts of strange objects of all shapes, sizes, and colors. "Christmas is a holiday that humans of the Christian religion gather celebrate the coming of our lord and savior," Floyd explained. "And who is that?" Drakyn asked. "He is a perfect being who watches over us every single day, a man whose goodness and benevolence know no bounds. And his name is SANTA CLAUS!" Floyd exclaimed. "You know you've hung around Floyd for too long when finding out that he believes in Santa Claus is one of the _least _weirdest things he's ever told you," Zuren sighed as he face-palmed, still remembering the incident last year when Floyd spread pamphlets all around Arcturus Station trying to convince everyone to believe in Santa. "I take it that's not that lord and savior that you actually celebrate the coming of?" Drakyn asked. "No, it's not," answered Zuren. "Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas, hence the name, 'Christ-mas'. Santa Claus is just a fictional character created to bring some commercialism to the holiday with a legend about a man who slides down the chimneys of houses to bring presents to little boys and girls everywhere. But only children believe that." "Ah, case in point then," said Drakyn as he watched Floyd dancing to Christmas carols.

* * *

"So what's in the sack?" Laelia asked Floyd as she walked off the ship with Asura and Zeer. "They're presents, of course! Since humanity joined the greater galactic community, I'm sure it hasn't been easy for Santa to deliver presents to everyone in the galaxy, so I'm helping him out! Also, the clerk at Rodham Expeditions down on Zakera Ward said that he'd give me a discount on some new gear as well as some free mods for my Kishock if I brought him 10 Brute claws and 5 Banshee heads! Why don't you come with me and I'll teach you more about the magic of Christmas, Tira?" Floyd said as walked off and got in a rapid-transit skycar. "Don't forget to report for surgery tomorrow," Zuren called after him. "Yeah, yeah, I know, stop reminding me! I'm trying to forget that they're going to be opening up my head again!" said Floyd as he and Tira'Misu zoomed off towards Zakera Ward. Turning back towards the rest of the group, Zuren said, "Well, we're here for a whole week, so take some time to really chill out. Who knows when we'll get another opportunity like this." "Most definitely, Zuren. I haven't been to the Citadel in quite a while. Would like to see if I can hack into the Citadel's mainframe again. STG status should make it easier to avoid being caught," said Zeer as he called a skycar and flew off to the Presidium. "Surey and I are gonna go to Purgatory. I heard Aria is there!" Laelia said as she grabbed Asura's arm and skipped off towards the club while Asura lapsed into a memory flash involving Aria, himself, and a very unfortunate Cerberus agent that Aria had hired him to catch. "Well, now that the kids are all gone, what do you say you and I hit the shooting range, Zuren?" Drakyn suggested as he walked off the ship carrying his sniper-rifle case. "That sounds great. Hey Ajax, you wanna come with?" Zuren asked the Krogan. "Nice of you to offer, but I'll pass. I must go and spread the message of the cured genophage to my Krogan brothers who have not yet heard the good news. See you when I see you," Ajax said.

* * *

With that, the squad members went their separate ways, each intending to enjoy their shore leave to the fullest. Drakyn and Zuren stepped off an elevator and entered the shooting range in the C-Sec academy. Drakyn took his Krysae sniper-rifle out of its case while Zuren borrowed an Argus assault-rifle from the weapon racks. "This is a pretty swell set-up you've got here. How are you allowed to use this place?" Zuren asked as he and Drakyn began practicing their shots. "An old friend who served in the Turian military with me set it up. He left to join C-Sec after he finished his term and I went on to join the Blackwatch, but we've kept in touch. I heard he's been working with Commander Shepard. His names is Garrus Vakarian," Drakyn explained. "Oh yeah, I know that Vakarian guy, actually. My team worked a few jobs with him and his mercenary crew on Omega when we needed help fighting Blue Suns. A good fighter, but he seemed to be something of a loose cannon," responded Zuren. "Yeah, that's Garrus for you. He never really did have the highest regard for regulations, but he had good instincts. He even got tapped for the Spectres, but he never went through with it. I never did ask why…" said Drakyn, as he nailed a moving target. "I admit, I always wondered what it would be like to be a Spectre. To be able to do whatever I need to do, whenever I want. It would make our jobs a hell of a lot easier sometimes," Zuren mused. "I'm sure you would make a good one. I was a little skeptical of humans at first, but Commander Shepard has proven what your kind is capable of. I heard you even served alongside Shepard during the Skyllian Blitz," said Drakyn. Zuren tensed up at hearing those words, firing and completely missing his target. Drakyn noticed this and asked, "Are you alright?" "Yeah," Zuren answered. "It's just…whenever someone mentions the Blitz…it brings back a lot of…bad memories." "Ah, that's right. You were on Torfan, weren't you? I heard that was quite the bloodbath. You want to talk about it?" "It's not really something I like to discuss. It's kind of…hard to describe to someone who wasn't there. The only person I've ever really talked about it with was Johann," said Zuren. "I've heard you, Floyd, and Vesna mention this 'Johann' before. The way you all talk about him, he must have been really important to you guys," said Drakyn. "He was our leader. But more than that, he was our friend. He got us through a lot of sticky situations, and he was always there for us when we needed him," Zuren mused. "The assault on Torfan was my first time leading a squad of my own. The Batarians were dug in deep and weren't gonna surrender. But we couldn't give up. If we backed down, the pirates would have won, and after that stunt they pulled on Elysium, we weren't just gonna let them get away. I had to make a call. I decided that we had to go into the bunker make sure no one came out," Zuren explained. "Couldn't you have just called in an orbital bombardment?" Drakyn asked. "The bunker was deep underground. An orbital strike wouldn't have done anything. I lost about a fourth of my squad just trying to get inside. Once we were in, we faced even heavier resistance. The bastards didn't go down easy, and they weren't planning on taking prisoners either. That's how I got this," said Zuren lifting the hair over his left eye, revealing a large scar that ran vertically across his left eye. "Ouch. Batarian Blade Armor sure is nasty," Drakyn said. "Indeed. A lot of my team got cut down with those things. There wasn't a lot of room to dodge in there. Eventually it got to the point where there was only a handful of us left. I remember getting a call on my radio saying that reinforcements were being sent in, but they needed us to open the bunker since it could only be opened from the inside. The problem was, there was a platoon of angry Batarians between us and the control room with more on our heels. We fought through the pirates in front of us, but the pirates behind us caught up. I had to choose between leaving my squad behind to open the bunker, or fighting with my squad and _maybe _defeating our pursuers while our reinforcements got decimated outside," Zuren said. "So what did you do?" asked Drakyn. "What do you think? We had a mission to accomplish. I never would have been able to capture the whole bunker with what was left of my team. I left my squad to hold of our pursuers while I opened the doors for the cavalry. In the end, we took the bunker, but the rest of my squad…was lost. Johann found me sealed in the bunker control room hiding behind an overturned desk with nothing but a heavy pistol. I was pretty shaken up. Not because I was so close to dying, but because all of my friends were dead…because I prioritized the mission over their lives," Zuren finished. "Do you feel guilty for surviving when they did not?" Drakyn asked. "I tell myself I don't, but it does feel that way sometimes," Zuren answered. Drakyn bulls-eyed another target and said, "You shouldn't. You're a soldier and so were they. You had a mission to complete and you had to make a call. At least they didn't die for nothing." Zuren leaned against the wall and sighed as he stared into space. "Johann said the same thing. Soldiers like us train to take on the toughest of challenges every day. We put our lives on the line knowing full well that each mission may be our last. But we carry out our duty anyway because we hope that somehow, we can make the universe a better, safer place for those we care about. I tried to see the truth in his words, but for me, the ones I care about are those who fight alongside me. As their squad leader, it is my duty to give them orders that may cost them their lives! These things have to be done, and we justify the casualties by telling ourselves that those who die knew the risks going in. But I can't just view my squad mates as simply assets! It may be my _job_ to accomplish the objective, but it's my _duty_ to care for my team!" "It sounds like you're conflicted between what you want and what you know has to be done." Drakyn observed. "What are you, my shrink?" Zuren replied with a slightly annoyed expression. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Most squad leaders go through that sort of dilemma. It's nice to see that you care so much, but take care that it doesn't affect your judgment," Drakyn advised. "I don't need you to tell _me_ that. My squad mates may drive me up the fucking wall, but they're as tough as they come. N7's don't make mistakes," said Zuren. "So then, what happened to Johann?" Drakyn asked as he shot through the last target. But as he turned around, Zuren had already left the room…


	7. Chapter 5 pt 2

**_Chapter 5.2_**

**_Planet: N/A_**

**_Location: The Citadel _**

**_Operation Codename: Firebase Yuletide_**

"Oh Laelia, it was so nice to see you and Asura again!" said the infamous pirate queen of Omega, Aria T'Loak, as Laelia and Asura walked back towards Purgatory's exit. "Never thought I'd see the day when Aria herself would be forced out of Omega. I already feel sorry for those Cerberus guys. It's not a question of _if_ Aria will take Omega back. It's a question of _when_," said Asura as he shuddered to think of the vengeful Asari's retribution. "Cerberus has to learn that it's not nice to steal other people's things. They should have respected her 'authoritah'!" said Laelia, attempting to pull off an Eric Cartman impression while Asura face-palmed.

* * *

"So where do you want to go now, Surey?" Laelia asked as Asura called a skycar from the rapid-transit terminal. "I was thinking of shooting over to Huerta Memorial Hospital. I heard my mentor has been there for a while. I…wanted to visit him," he answered. "Alright, let's go, then!" said Laelia as she hopped into the skycar. Arriving at Huerta Memorial a few minutes later, Laelia and Asura approached the reception desk, where they saw a rather large Turian wearing a fancy outfit that consisted of a black suit with silver trim and a black long-coat. Asura tensed up and his head immediately went on a swivel for places to hide. Unfortunately for him, Laelia shouted, "DADDY!" and ran squealing towards the Turian. The Turian barely had time to turn around before being glomped by the Asari. Smiling, the Turian lifted Laelia off of her feet and gave her a warm hug. "Oh, my baby girl! I'm so glad to see you! When I heard about what happened I heard about Lesuss, I was so worried!" The Turian then looked over and saw Asura attempting to hide on a gurney under a blanket, posing as a corpse. Walking over to the gurney, the Turian hopped up onto it and sat down on Asura's chest. "So where is Asura? I heard he and Drakyn were with you. I was _so_ very looking forward to seeing him again. Where…**_could_**_…__**HE**__…__**BE**_?!" The Turian punctuated as he bounced up and down on Asura's chest. "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!" Asura screamed. "Get off me before you cave my chest in!" "Why Asura, I had _no_ idea you were here!" the Turian said with faux-surprise. "Of _course_ you didn't, General," Asura sighed as he tried to rub the pain out of his chest. "I'm surprised to see you here, honestly. I _specifically_ recall ordering that if my daughter were ever in any kind of danger, you were to heroically sacrifice yourself and die in her place!" said The General. "Oh come on, daddy! I know you care, but stop making jokes like that! It's embarrassing!" said Laelia. "What makes you think he's joking?" Asura said as he broke out in a cold sweat. "So daddy, what brings you to Huerta?" Laelia asked. "Oh, I was just here to visit Edessa. I recommended that she get a routine checkup here after that ordeal on Lesuss. You can come with me if you like," The General suggested. "Sure! Will you be alright on your own Asura?" Laelia asked, turning towards the Drell. "No problem, Laelia. Believe me, the farther away I am from The General, the better! I'll catch up with you later, Laelia!" said Asura as he sprinted off down the hall.

* * *

Rounding a corner, Asura saw another Drell with bluish-green skin standing outside one of the rooms. Looking over his shoulder, the bluish-green Drell was taken aback as he called, "Asura? Is that…you?" "Kolyat Krios. Long time no see…" Asura responded. Asura and Kolyat shared a brotherly embrace. Asura was surprised that Kolyat actually returned the gesture. The last time they spoke, Kolyat seemed so…cold and distant. "_I guess things have finally started to cool down for the guy,"_ thought Asura. "It's…good to see you again, Asura. It feels like it's been years. You look good, considering you've been fighting the Reapers for what, six months now?" said Kolyat. "Don't remind me, dude. I've been trying to get the Banshee screams out of my head for weeks. Of course, it beats listening to the latest boy-band crap," Asura replied. "So what have you been up to? You seem to be keeping safe. Staying out of the fighting?" he asked. "I haven't been on the frontlines, but I _have_ been helping to provide relief aid. I'm not really a fighter like you, but I can't just stand by while people are dying by the thousands every day. I know my father would do whatever he could to help. Unfortunately, he's still holed up here," Kolyat replied. "How has Master T been holding up? I hadn't heard from him in so long when he finally contacted me. When I heard about the Kepral's Syndrome…" Asura trailed off as he looked down at the floor, the distress evident in his stance. "He's…contented. At least he seems to be. He knows the disease will eventually claim his life and he came to terms with that a long time ago. I know he'd rather be out there fighting, but right now, he's just trying to enjoy the time he has left," Kolyat said as he and Asura looked in and observed the famed Drell assassin, Thane Krios, sleeping soundly on his bed. "I just wish there was something I could do… I owe Master T so much, and the only way I can honor what he did for me is to kill," said Asura. "I'm sure my father would be happy to know that the skills he taught you are being used to fight the greatest threat to the galaxy that any of us have ever known," Kolyat attempted to reassure Asura. "Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if my father had trained me like he trained you." "If you recall, you almost found out the hard way," said Asura, as he and Kolyat lapsed into a memory flash…

* * *

**_Asura was sitting by himself in a corner of the Dark Star Lounge, a popular bar on Zakera Ward. He had recently been contacted by someone who apparently had a job for him. Asura was fidgeting with a glass of his favorite drink, a sweet, human beverage called, 'Kool-Aid', when someone approached and sat down across from him. It was another Drell with bluish-green skin. "I take it you're my contact. What's the job?" Asura asked. "Treasure hunting," the Drell replied. "There is a group of Volus bankers that have a package that I need, and I want you to get it for me however you can. All the information you need is in this datapad." "Just an ordinary snatch-and-grab job, huh? Not usually the kind of work I take, but fortunately for you, I need the cash. I'll have your package for you within the week," said Asura. "That's it? Aren't you even going to ask me what the package is or why I need it? Or who I even am?" the other Drell asked with an incredulous expression. "Look man, in my line of work I've learned that it's best NOT to ask any questions. I'm doing a job for you and that's all I need to know. I'll call you when it's done," Asura said as he got up and left the club._**

**_ A few days later, the bluish-green Drell was sitting in Chora's Den, one of the sleazier joints on the Citadel wards. Asura arrived a few minutes later and sat down at the bluish Drell's booth, tossing a fancy, customized credit chit on the table. As the bluish Drell reached for it, Asura grabbed his hand and yanked him across the table, pinning his arm with his left hand, and pinning his head down on the table with his right. His right hand glowing with biotic energy, Asura said, "All right buddy boy, who the hell are you and who are you working for?!" "Whoa, calm down! I'm not working for anybody!" the pinned Drell yelled. "Don't lie to me, you son of a bitch! Why the hell would you send me to steal THIS?! Tell me the truth or I'll splatter your head all over this table!" "Alright, alright! Let me up and I'll explain!" Asura cautiously let the bluish Drell up and drew a gun on him under the table. "Alright, talk. But if I don't like what you have to say, well, I won't do anything to you, but my Paladin hand cannon tends to be very outspoken, if you catch my drift. Now, let's start with who the hell you are." "My name is Kolyat…Krios," the bluish Drell answered. "What did you say? Did you say your last name…is 'Krios'?" Asura asked with a stunned expression. "Yes. I believe you are acquainted with my father, Thane Krios. I've been looking for him for some time. But I haven't been able to find him, so I've been tracking down people who were close to him so I could learn more about him. Even though he's my father…I feel like I never knew him at all…since I just found out that he's some kind of assassin. I also heard that he trained a protégé by the name of Asura Kreon. I had to know if it was really you, which is why I sent you to steal that credit chit. I didn't know it held any significance to you, though," Kolyat explained. "The last job Master T and I pulled together…We took out the leader of a large organized crime ring. That was his personal credit chit. Our employer let us keep the money on the account it was registered to as a bonus for carrying out our job so well. Master T told me he was going to leave it as an inheritance for his son…" "So you DO know my father, and you are an assassin… Do you think you could put me in touch with someone who could set me up in that line of work?" asked Kolyat. Asura thought for a minute, looking intently into Kolyat's eyes. Then, he said, "No." "What?!" Kolyat exclaimed. "What do you mean, 'no'?! Don't you realize what my father did to me and my mother?! He abandoned us! While he was killing his way across the galaxy and training you to follow in his footsteps, we were left alone! And when my mother was killed, what did he do? Did he stay with me and try to be the father to me that he never was before? NO! He left me and disappeared AGAIN. Because of people like YOU! You traipse around the galaxy destroying people's lives without any regard for the other people who get hurt because of the things you do! I'm trying to understand why people like you do this sort of thing! Do you even acknowledge the consequences of your actions?! Do you know how it feels to lose everything you care about?! DO YOU?!" Kolyat screamed. "YES! I DO!" Asura screamed back. "Do you think you're the only person in this galaxy who's suffered?! You aren't the only person life has screwed over, buddy boy! Do you want to know why I became an assassin? Both of my parents were murdered right in front of me when I was just a kid! If it wasn't for your father finding me on the street, teaching me skills I could use to survive, and giving me a purpose in life, I would be dead!" he responded. "So you're saying that my father abandoning me is the best thing that ever happened to you?" Kolyat retorted. "What I'm saying, you idiot, is that you should follow your own advice and try thinking about how other people feel! I'm not saying I'm glad Master T abandoned his family, but I AM grateful for the things he did for me. Your father is a good man, Kolyat. I understand you're angry because you feel that it's his fault your mom was murdered, but you don't understand how your father felt when Mrs. K died! You may resent your father for abandoning you, but what you haven't considered is that maybe he had a good reason to! You're trying to find a way to feel closer to your father, to understand why he did the things he did. But I can see in your eyes the resentment and enmity that drive you. I'm not going to help you become a hitman! And not just because you're trying to follow a path that you're not cut out for! Your father was trained as an assassin from the time he was six years old. And after the things I went through, becoming a killer for hire was pretty much a foregone conclusion for me as well. But YOU still have a choice. Maybe your father left because he wanted you to HAVE that choice! Maybe he left because he didn't want you to be exposed to any of this!" Asura finished, slamming his fist on the table for emphasis and pointing to the credit chit as if it was the summation of everything he just said…_**

* * *

Coming out of the memory flash, Kolyat gave a slight chuckle and said, "When you walked out of the bar, I was so _pissed_! I got blind drunk and a few days later, I got in contact with a guy named Mouse for a hit on a Turian politico. The next thing I knew, Commander Shepard himself showed up with my father! They kicked my ass and talked me down. My father and I have been…patching up our relationship ever since." "I'm happy things are working out. I'm know Master T is. You should be glad the two of you got a second chance. Some people would kill for that…" Asura said. "Like you?" Kolyat asked, with another chuckle. "Of course not! What do you think I am? An assassin?" Asura replied, and he and Kolyat burst out laughing.

Thane Krios stirred in his bed and smiled as he glanced out the window and saw Asura and Kolyat getting along. Asura had confessed to Thane what had passed between him and Kolyat. At first, Thane was greatly distressed that Kolyat had learned the truth about him, but it lead to him being reunited with his son, and for that he was very grateful. Thane knew that he had made a lot of mistakes in his life, but between Kolyat and Asura, he knew there were at least two things he did right…


	8. Chapter 5 pt 3

_**Chapter 5.3**_

_**Planet: N/A**_

_**Location: The Citadel **_

_**Operation Codename: Firebase Yuletide**_

* * *

_**Presidium apartments, quarters of The General…**_

"_You don't have to do this. You could come back with me! I would NEVER let them take you or your daughter," plead a Turian soldier in heavy black and red armor. "I know, but you wouldn't be able to stop them, no matter how hard you tried. Someone like me going free just isn't then kind of thing the Matriarchs are ready to accept," sighed a dark blue Asari standing on the edge of a cliff. "They just don't know you like I do. Listen, you know I'm a Spectre. I've got influence in the Hierarchy. I could work something out. I'll guarantee everyone that you're not a threat. Please Lyss…don't…don't do this…" "A life lived in a cage is no life at all. And I won't let the Justicars lock Laelia up just because they're afraid of what she might become. I thought you would understand that." The roar of shuttle engines could be heard overhead. The voices of Turian soldiers and Asari commandos could be heard in the distance and over comm chatter. "Well, well, how many units did they call in this time?" the Asari asked with a grin. The Turian chuckled. "Heh, I think this is a new record. Last I heard, it was 5 squads of Asari commandos AND Blackwatch operatives." "Is that all? I'm insulted. Thought they would have learned their lesson after I sent that Justicar/Spectre team home with broken bones and ruptured organs," the Asari giggled as she stared off into the sunset. "Look Elyssa, let me bring you in. It will make things easier for everyone. You don't want Laelia to grow up without her only family, do you?" said the Turian. "She won't. That's why I called you here. I don't want Laelia to live her life constantly on the run. I won't let what I am keep her from being who she wants to be. That's why…I want you to take care of her." "ME?! You want me to raise your daughter?! Why?!" "Not 'my' daughter, 'OUR' daughter," said the Asari with an insistent tone. "What do you mean?" the Turian asked incredulously. "Well, you've been chasing me for so long, Laelia seems to have developed quite an attachment to you. And well, you DID buy her ice cream the first time you met her, even if you were just using her to find me." "What does that have anything to do with-" "Laelia REALLY loves ice cream. The point is, Laelia knows you. She TRUSTS you. And I trust you to. As long as I live, Laelia will never be able to have a normal life. I want you to promise me that you'll take care of her," said the Asari. "Elyssa, I-" "Listen to me! We don't have time to talk about this! Those soldiers will be here any second," the Asari interrupted the Turian as the she hear the voices of her pursuers drawing closer. "All I've ever wanted was my freedom. But being an Ardat Yakshi robbed me of any chance I had! And in my selfishness, I dragged my daughter along for the ride. For 20 years, she's known nothing running and fighting to survive. I thought I could run and still make a life for us, but I was wrong. I couldn't give Laelia the life she deserves to have. I'm hoping you can… Please…" the Asari begged. The Turian gazed at the Asari in utter disbelief. He then relented and said. "…Alright, Elyssa. I swear to you, I will take care of Laelia. I will raise her as if she were my own blood. She will be protected and she will want for nothing. I won't let anything happen to her. I give you my word. May the Spirits take me to the depths of the underworld, should I do anything to break this pledge," spoke the Turian with dignified rigidity. "Heh, you sure don't do anything halfway do you? But then again your seriousness always was one of the things I liked the most about you…" Suddenly, Turian and Asari soldiers began entering the clearing, all of them training their guns on the lone Asari standing at the edge of the cliff. "WAIT! EVERYONE, HOLD YOUR DAMN FIRE!" the Turian in black and red armor called to the other soldiers. "Elyssa… I will take care of your daughter. Just…please…come back with me. It's not too late…" The Asari flashed a sad smile as she took a step backwards, towards the edge. "I'm sorry love, but it is… We'll always have Ilium Vadis… Goodbye…" said the Asari as she took one more step and fell backwards off of the cliff._

"Elyssa!" the General gasped as he awoke with a start. The grizzled old Turian sat up in his bed as he gazed forlornly at a portrait of a beautiful, dark blue Asari on the desk next to his bed. Suddenly, Laelia bounded into the room and pounced on the General, knocking the wind out of him. "Good morning, daddy!" the young Asari squealed. "Agh! Laelia, don't DO that! I may be on my bed, but my back isn't 20 years old anymore!" "Aw, I'm sorry dad! Want me to kiss it and make it better?" "Oh, it's alright sweety. Tell me, what brings you into my quarters so early? You didn't set my study on fire, did you?" the General asked warily. "Oh come on, daddy! You know I wouldn't do that a third time!" "I don't know… According to humans, the third time is the charm," the General mumbled. "I came to get you because today is Christmas! Well, not really, but my human friends told me about this holiday that humans celebrate this time of year with their families and friends, and you know…with the war and everything…I thought maybe we could take the day to spend some time together? We'll do whatever you want to do!" said Laelia. The General looked thoughtful for a moment. As if reading his mind, Laelia immediately said, "No 'Drell Hunting'! I'm not falling for that again!" "(DAMMIT! You live to fight another day, Asura!)" the General whispered under his breath. Sighing, the General then suggested, "Alright, how about we go to the movies? I heard they're holding a film festival on Zakera Ward this afternoon. Showing a lot of classics. Maybe they'll even show my favorite movie there…" the General said as he stepped out of his bed and slipped into his suit and coat. "What's your favorite movie?" Laelia asked as she followed her father out of his apartment.

* * *

"_If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you. I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I WILL look for you. I WILL find you…and I will kill you." _"Ah, Liam Neeson. A model inspiration to fathers everywhere," said the General as he stood up and saluted the famous human actor on the screen. "Yeah, Liam Neeson always performed well in the roles he took, although his choice in some films could have been better. I mean, _Battleship_? Really? Bad enough Rihanna was in it." piped up a voice from behind Laelia and the General. Turning around, the pair saw Floyd sitting behind them with his feet propped up on the chair in front of him with a plate of tacos and cheeseburgers with a bag of Twizzlers. "Floyd! Nice to see you! Say, I didn't know they served tacos and cheeseburgers here," said Laelia, observing Floyd's concessions. "They don't. I'm not paying 10 fucking credits for a shitty hot dog and small drink! I always bring my own snacks, so keep your voice down!" Floyd whispered harshly as he stuffed an entire burger in his mouth while the aisle stewards walked by. "Floyd? Are you one of my daughter's human friends?" the General inquired. "I suppose so. I'm a member of the N7 Mediciner team. I only met Laelia recently, but she seems like a nice kid. I was certainly curious as to who her father was. The way Asura and Drakyn talk about you, I had you pegged as the Devil himself," answered Floyd, taking loud bite out of a taco. "Oh _really_?" the General said, his eyes narrowing. "Yeah, they make it sound like you're the Balrog, Vlitra, and Satan all rolled into one big nasty pile, but Laelia painted a different picture of you entirely. If I had to compare you to something I'd say you're the Turian version of the man we're watching right now. Overprotective dads don't get much more hardcore than Liam Neeson's performance in _Taken_," Floyd continued, casually dumping a box of Junior Mints into his mouth. "Just do me a favor: if you plan on torturing Asura via electrocution, don't do it on the _Thermopylae_. We have a stable power grid, but I'm not sure it can be routed to your electric chair _and _my Game Cube, N64, PS2, PS3, and Xbox 360." "I'll keep that in mind," the General responded. Suddenly, one of the theater stewards approached Floyd and said, "Sir, are you aware of our theater's policy on outside food and beverages?" "Oh, I'm aware. I just don't give a fuck. I mean, $3.75 for a box of Milk Duds? You guys are full of it, you know that?" Floyd responded, annoyed. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave. Nothing personal, but-" the steward was cut off as Floyd quickly punched him in the face, knocking him out, and then slid his unconscious form under the seats. "It was all personal to me," Floyd said in sync with Liam Neeson on-screen. Floyd sat back in his seat and, as the General and Laelia stared at him, said "Fuck the police."

* * *

Floyd, Laelia, and the General continued to catch flicks at the festival. All in all, it was a nice event, culminating with a showing of _Its A Wonderful Life_ in keeping with the Christmas spirit. The festival ended earlier than expected however, because someone set fire to all the _Star Trek_ film reels. "Mission=Accomplished/Lord Vader," a blue and white drone beeped in droid-speak as it returned to Floyd's side. "Roger that, R2-D2. Looks like the Force was with you," Floyd said with an evil smirk. "What are you talking about?" the General inquired. Suddenly, Floyd spied a human, a Salarian, and an Elcor dressed as members of Starfleet staring him down from across the street. "Determined declaration: You have won this battle, but you will not win the war, Jedi Junkie!" said the Elcor red shirt in his species' signature monotone. Unfazed, Floyd turned towards his drone, and in his best Grand Moff Tarkin voice, said, "R2-D2, continue with the operation. You may fire when ready." Beeping its confirmation, the drone changed its holographic shell to resemble that of the Death Star as it flew towards the Trekkies and began zapping them with harmless, but painful lasers. The Trekkie trio ran off with the drone still chasing after them. "Heh, losers. I used to jack credit chits from guys like that," Floyd said with a laugh. "You are a very strange human, Floyd Greene," said the General. "Why, thank you sir! I take that as a compliment!" Floyd said. "I'm really glad you could hang with us Floyd," said Laelia. "I thought you would have still been in the hospital. Didn't you have your surgery today?" "Not yet," Floyd replied, and glancing over his shoulder, exclaimed, "And I intend to keep it that way!" as he took off running down the ward's crowded streets. "THERE HE IS! DON'T LET HIM LOSE US IN THE CROWD AGAIN!" the voice of an Alliance medical officer called out as she took off after Floyd with a squad of military police in tow. "DID YOU BRING THE TRANQUILIZERS? MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE ONES WE USE FOR KROGANS!" yelled the medical officer as one of the MPs produced a Widow sniper rifle and loaded it with a rather large tranquilizer dart. "A very strange human indeed. Are all of your squad-mates like that, Laelia? How do you work with them?" the General asked his daughter. "Aw, they're not so bad once you get to know them," Laelia said. "I mean, sure they all have their issues (some of them more than others), but who doesn't? They're all good people, even if they like being difficult to deal with," said Laelia as she heard the MPs frantically crying out their frustration with attempting to capture Floyd. "Hacking the Citadel's mainframe," Laelia continued as Zeer ran past, pursued by C-Sec. "Or are cursed with a Derp Field," Laelia finished as the manager of Saronis Electronics literally threw Tira'Misu out of the store while several electronic devices overloaded and four LOKI mechs began doing the YMCA. "You know, your mother was the same way. She used to hang out with a gang of…colorful individuals. A Krogan pirate, a Drell spy, even a Vorcha scientist. People who wouldn't necessarily fit in in polite society, but she accepted them nonetheless, and they were all firm friends. I never understood how she could get along so well with people like that," the General said with a nostalgic smile. "Even the two of us became close, even though I was the one who…" the General trailed off as he remembered his dream from earlier. "Dad, are you alright?" Laelia asked as she shook her father lightly. "Laelia…just promise me that whatever happens, you never let anyone tell you how to live. Your path in life is yours to determine, not anyone else's. Newer let anyone tell you different." "Oh daddy, you don't have to worry so much about me. I would never let anyone decide the path my life will take. That's why I'm fighting so hard to stop the Reapers. They want to take away our right to choose our own futures. But as long as we're here that won't—ooh, ICE CREAM!" screamed Laelia, pumping her fists into the air with a huge smile on her face as she ran over to the nearby ice cream parlor. "Seems like attention span was _not_ one of the things she inherited from you Lyss, but you would be amazed at how much she really is like you," the General sighed, looking up into the sky. "I couldn't save you Elyssa, but I will protect your—no, _our_ daughter, and I will see to it that she is free to choose her own path…" the General trailed off as he spied a flash of green from the corner of his eye. "As long as that future doesn't include a certain Drell," the General said while charging up the Neural Shock function on his Omni-Tool. "Daddy, I got you your favorite! The Dextro-Destroyer Triple Sundae!" sang Laelia, holding a bowl containing an impossibly large amount of dextro ice cream. The General looked at the ice cream. Then at Asura. Then back at the ice cream. Then back at Asura. Sighing disappointedly, the General pressed a button on his Omni-Tool and deactivated it. "The downside of fatherhood. I just can't say no to you!" the General said with a smile as a drone materialized behind his back and flew off. As the General and Laelia sat down to enjoy their ice cream and each other's company, the streets of Zakera Ward echoed with the sounds of a screaming Drell. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.


	9. Chapter 5 pt 4

_**Chapter 5.4**_

_**Planet: N/A**_

_**Location: The Citadel **_

_**Operation Codename: Firebase Yuletide**_

* * *

_**Presidium, Huerta Memorial Hospital…**_

Powerless. As Vesna Lombardi lay in her bed at Huerta Memorial Hospital on the Presidium, it was the one word that kept running over and over through her mind. It was never a word she would have thought to describe herself with, but it was the only one that seemed to fit. Vesna had grown up on the Mindoir colony in the Attican Traverse. Her parents taught her the value of hard work at young age. Vesna was determined to grow up and turn Mindoir into a proud place to call home, a true beacon of humanity's reach and perseverance. Then…the Batarians came. Vesna was forced to watch as the four-eyed monsters burned the colony to the ground, capturing or killing anyone and everyone they could find. Vesna closed her eyes and remembered locking herself inside of a storage crate, peeking out through a small hole as the pirates slaughtered her family and friends, watching helplessly as her home burned and collapsed around her. The destruction she witnessed was more than she could bear. Seeing the decimated pre-fab units, the burned out houses, and the charred houses filled her with sadness, but the grief was quickly replaced by burning anger. Vesna never considered herself to be a human-supremacist, but she knew that in order to prevent anything like Mindoir from happening again, humanity would have to show the galaxy its resolve. She signed up with the Alliance Navy as soon as she was released from the hospital, and she never looked back. Humanity's many accomplishments over the years reinforced her pride, and she held to her parent's ideals, her fierce determination carrying her through the toughest battles, both personal and professional. Though, the memory of a scared little girl locked in a storage crate never left her, Vesna taught herself to hate that little girl. The memory possessed her very being, and she waged a war against herself to never be that girl again. And after she met Johann, her leader, her friend, her lover, she felt that all of her hard work had finally paid off, and that the universe was giving back to her in return for the things she had given. She never felt helpless when she was with him. In fact, he made her feel stronger, more grounded and stable. With him, she never went back to that storage crate. And then, just like that…he was gone. When Johann died, it was a huge blow to the team, but most of all, to her. After all the fighting she had done to become the strong person she believed she was, Johann dying shook her to her core. And now, no matter how hard she fought, she could feel herself slowly turning back into that little girl in the storage crate. Powerless was never a word Vesna would use to describe herself, but now, it was the only one that seemed to fit.

* * *

After a long and relaxing nap, Vesna awoke to the sounds of button mashing, teeth gnashing, and fists flying. "Mad Midget Five!" Vesna heard from the television on the other side of the room. On the TV, five little men dressed like the Super Sentai were beating the hell out of one man. The man on the bed next Vesna sighed as he threw his Playstation 2 controller down on his bed. "Shit, I hate those guys! But damn, do I love this game! I don't understand why _God Hand_ didn't sell better. It's so fucking entertaining!" Floyd Greene gushed as he stuffed a handful of Mike & Ike's into his mouth. "Hmph. This is just what I fucking needed. So, they finally caught your ass, huh Floyd?" "AH! IT'S ALIVE! SKANKENSTEIN IS ALIVE!" Floyd screamed in mock fear as Vesna threw her TV remote at him, smacking him in the head. "OW! Well, nice to see that new arm or yours is working for you," Floyd said, rubbing his forehead. "And what about your biotics?" Vesna smirked, flexing her new, cybernetic appendage. "I thought you got new implants. Figured you'd be able to block that. Guess you're not so great as you think." "If you didn't think it would actually hit me, why'd you throw it in the first place?" Floyd asked. "Matter of principle," Vesna answered. "Yeah well, I only got out of surgery last night. Woke up just this morning. The docs told me to lay off the biotics for now. Said it's because my nervous system needs time to adjust to the new implants. Can't wait to try them out, though. Maybe now I'll be able to create Psionic Storms like Zeratul's Dark Templars!" Floyd said, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "And as usual, no one knows what the hell you're talking about," Vesna responded as Floyd's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me! Don't you know anything about _StarCraft_, Vesna?! It was only one of the most popular RTS computer game franchises of the 21st century! I play it all the time on the ship! Haven't you ever heard of the Queen of Blades? Raynor's Raiders? Banelings? Void Rays? ADDITIONAL PYLONS?!" said Floyd, flabbergasted. "What the hell is it with you and this crap?! Of all the people I've met, I have never met anyone so into the past as you," said Vesna. "And why shouldn't I be fascinated by the past? It's the foundation that civilizations build upon to create their futures. Everything we have today is the result of things evolving from what they used to be. Do you think we'd have _Shattered Eezo_ without _Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robots_?" Floyd responded. "_What_ kind of robots?" said Vesna. "Aw, forget it! You're such a goddamn Culture Fool, you know that Skankenstein? What next? You gonna tell me you don't know who Luke Skywalker's father is?" "Call me 'Skankenstein' one more time, and I'll knock you back into 1977 so you can ask him yourself!" "…That was…oddly specific, Vesna. What do you know about 1977?" Floyd asked, a surprised yet impressed expression on his face. "That's when the original _Star Wars_ movie came out. Duh." "Alright, but _do_ you know who Luke's father is?" "Darth Vader, of course." "Good, but every human should know that. Do you know who Darth Vader's father is?" "Trick question, asshole. He didn't have one." "Nice! Even Zuren fucked that one up. Said Obi-Wan was Anakin's father. Poor Culture Fool," Floyd said, shaking his head.

* * *

Floyd spent the next thirty minutes quizzing Vesna on Star Wars lore. "Yes, that's right! It turns out that Darth Vader had a secret apprentice, and _he_ was the one who actually founded the Rebel Alliance! Ha ha! Vesna, I can't believe it! How come you never told me you were a Jedi Junkie too?!" Floyd laughed. "You never asked," Vesna answered, and uncharacteristic smile on her face. "I never knew you liked Star Wars so much, either. How come you never told me?" she asked. "Are you kidding?" Floyd responded. "You laughed the skin off my ass when I told you I could recite the every line from _The Phantom Menace_ by heart, I figured _Star Wars _wasn't your thing!" "I just tried to imagine you talking like Jar Jar Binks. It made me laugh so hard, it still gets me every time!" Vesna said as she cracked up. "Yeah well, I saw that movie when I was five, and I loved it. Now that I've grown older, I know that movie…kind of sucked ass, but it's still the first _Star Wars_ movie I ever saw. It got me hooked on the series and I've been faithful to it ever since, even if it is in the hands of Mickey Mouse and his legion of doom," said Floyd, stabbing a voodoo doll Walt Disney with a plastic knife. "Floyd, that's not going to work, Walt Disney is already dead," Vesna said. "His head isn't. Maybe I'll wait and see if the Reapers bring him back as a Husk so I can kill him myself. That would be fun," Floyd said, the mischievous gleam in his eyes returning. "Maybe you can break into the Disney Vault while you're at it," Vesna suggested. "Yeah! Where I can destroy all the unnecessary sequels to Disney classics! Like _Lion King 1½_! Great idea, V!" "This interest in past cultures is really kind of an obsession with you, isn't it?" "What can I say? This is what I'm fighting for. Like I said, we wouldn't be here today without the contributions of those who came before us. When I play _StarCraft_ and _God Hand_, when I watch _Star Wars_ and Miyazaki movies, when I listen to Carlos Santana, Inon Zur, and Van Cliburn, I'm experiencing the cultures that brought humanity to where it is today. I love our culture. There's no other like it in the universe, and there never will be anywhere else. The Turians, the Salarians, the Asari, the Krogans, the Drell, the Quarians, every other race in the galaxy all feel the same way about their cultures. And when I think about the Reapers destroying all of that, nothing makes me angrier…or more scared," "Scared? The thought of _Star Wars_ being literally destroyed scares you more than getting killed by the Reapers. Heh, if it were anyone else…" Vesna chuckled. "You laugh, but I'm actually being totally serious. The Reapers destroyed the Protheans. Sure, we know about them, but I mean, what do we _really_ know about them? Everything they had, everything they were…is gone. Dying doesn't scare me. Being forgotten does," Floyd said with a somber expression, staring out of the window onto the Presidium. "I don't want that to happen to us. I don't want everything we are…everything we've done…to be lost." Vesna stared speechlessly at Floyd. Until now, she had always considered Floyd to be little more than a buffoonish nerd. But now, she felt as if she had gotten a glimpse at the true Floyd. She began to wonder if and how Floyd saw her. How Johann saw her… Vesna pushed those thoughts out of her mind and jokingly asked, her eyes narrowing, "Who are you and what have you done with the real Floyd?" "I'm as Floyd as Floyd will ever be!" he responded. "Except you're quoting Atton Rand. I've played KOTOR too, you know." "Oh, shut up, Skankentstein." "Why you-" Vesna started as she got out of her bed and raised a hand to slap the shit out of Floyd. Suddenly, the windows of the room were blown out by a concussive shockwave. The impact knocked both Floyd and Vesna to the floor. "Vesna! Vesna, are you alright?!" Floyd called, picking himself up off of the ground. "I'm fine! What the hell was that?!" said Vesna, as she scrambled onto her feet. Then, Floyd and Vesna looked out of the shattered window as shuttles and gunships emblazoned with a white and gold hexagonal emblem started landing all over the Presidium…


End file.
